Children of the Revolution
by kamorgana
Summary: Epilogue UP *COMPLETE*. The Bakumatsu destroyed their families and lives, and they survived. One became a doctor, the other a criminal. When they meet again, can they put their pasts behind? A Megumi/Enishi story. Post-Jinchuu.
1. Electric blue

Disclaimer: No the characters and RK aren't mine, I don't make money out of it, I'm just having fun. 

Children of the Revolution

Chapter 1: Electric blue

Kyoto, Meiji 14th year, early spring.

Megumi could hear Misao's voice shouting happy farewells and last invitations to change her mind and stay longer in Kyoto, even through the thick glasses of the carriage's windows. She sighed.

After three months away, all she wanted was to get back home. To the place she arbitrarily called home, more precisely. The time spent with her friends had made her painfully aware of the difference.

She had gone to Tokyo to help Kaoru-san giving birth to her first child. It had been a difficult one, but now Ken-san had a beautiful and healthy son. Little Kenji was born with a bunch of red hair, and when she left he was smiling already. It was too early to tell if he'd keep the color of his eyes, which were a light violet. She smiled at the memories. Kaoru-san was of course overprotective, Ken-san was a bit awkward, but she'll never forget the happiness on their faces when they held their son for the first time. It was not HER first time, she had witnessed this kind of scene before, yet never the parents had been close to her. She knew how much it meant to Ken-san. She didn't react as a doctor, but as a person, and as a woman. She had been deeply moved, more than she could have ever imagined.

Now they had a real family. Of course, it didn't change anything to the daily life at Kamiya dojo. It was still busy and full of students, people coming and going all the time. And once a week at least they were going to the Akabeko. Uramura keiji and his family were usually joining. The extended Himura family counted them now, as much as Tae, Tsubame, Yutaro and of course Yahiko. They were all ready to worship Kenji, more or less openly. Yahiko was glad but slightly jealous of the attention Kaoru-san gave to her son, like any older brother would have. Although Megumi suspected that they were all also afraid of Kaoru's reaction to any not blatantly praising comment on her son, their affection was genuine.

She was part of this family too. Yet not completely, as once more, she had been the only one to know the bad news. She had told Ken-san, before leaving. It was highly improbable that Kaoru-san could have other children. He was expecting it. He had insisted to be the one to tell her, once she'd be ready. How could a woman ever be ready to hear this kind of things? And Kaoru-san was babbling around about giving Kenji lots of brothers and sisters. Men could be so naïve. She had gladly escaped her responsibility, though. Megumi's feelings for Kenshin were an old memory; nevertheless she knew that Kaoru wouldn't see it this way. She was feeling miserable enough, and wasn't ready to accept unfair resent for a situation that she had no power on. She wasn't that bad that she could feel any kind of comfort for her loneliness in other people's distress, but a bitter Kaoru wouldn't understand. She would apologize later, of course, but Megumi didn't want to hear any reproach or feel her blaming stare on her in the first place.

Her only day of stay at the Aoiya had done nothing good to her. Although they both pretended to ignore it, each time she crossed Aoshi's icy eyes, she was reviving the past. She knew he did, too. It was painful for both of them, reopening the old wounds, the old guilt. Each time they met, they were too glad to find a pretext to disagree, as they had when he wanted to unbury Kaoru's grave. Misao had done her best to make her feel good, though Megumi was sure that the girl knew perfectly well what was the matter. The little weasel was subtler than she would ever have granted her for. She was sorry that she couldn't respond to her kind efforts, directed as much to her as to Aoshi.

The carriage was going down a little road, next to a cemetery, so slowly that she noticed two human figures, one leaning on the other. A little man and a tall one, who was..

"Stop!" she yelled, passing her head through the window.

She rushed out towards the two men, who were draped in long coats, their faces hidden by hoods. The little man lifted his head.

It was an old man, with long white hair and beard, and washed out blue eyes shining with worry behind his glasses. She couldn't see the face of the other man, yet only by the way his arms were dangling on the shoulders of the elder, she could say that he was wounded or sick. He had obviously passed out.

"I'm a doctor..."she began.

"Take him out of here. Please!" begged the old man. "Please save my son."

She heard whistles. The police. The sound had haunted her nightmares long enough for her to recognize it without a doubt.

"Please," he repeated.

"Put him into the carriage. I'll help you, quick!"

She helped the old man to carry the other one inside. She jumped in and held her hand to him, but he shook his head, giving her a bright yet deeply sad smile.

"Take him away. I'll distract them. I'm just an old man," he added with a force that surprised her.

He was closing the door when her wits came back to her, and she began: "But I live in Aizu.."

"Take him there, doctor, take care of him."

On these murmured, fierce words, the old man shut the door and ran away.

"Go!" she ordered to the driver, automatically.

She closed the window again as she heard the whip slashing in the air. She collapsed in her seat, realizing that her heart was pounding. What had she done? She still had a drug trafficking accusation upon her head and..She stiffened. She was a doctor. She had to help people in need of care, and it was obviously the case of that man.

While the carriage had left the maze of little streets to run full speed on the large road down south, she leaned to the tall body lain on the opposite seats. She pulled the hood of the coat to examine his face. Her lungs emptied under the shock, her breathing stopping briefly.

White, curly hair. Sunglasses almost falling from his nose. Yukishiro Enishi.

The smell of miso shiru reached his senses, deciding him to leave his slumber. Tomoe must have prepared breakfast already..

His eyes fluttered open, the familiar sting of pain constricting briefly his chest, as each time he woke up from his childhood dreams to realize that Tomoe was no more. Yet the delicious smell was real, who could?

Where the hell was he?

He sat up, puzzled, his eyes looking immediately for a door, a window, to secure his exit in case he should escape. And for a weapon in case somebody would try to prevent him to.

The room was unfamiliar, and if it was obviously not a prison cell, it didn't look either like a police station, less like Rakuninmura. The furniture were simple, still of good quality, the futon he was laying on was comfortable, and there were even some discreet decorations, a vase, a piece of shodo, a painting representing blossoming peach trees, which indicated a definite feminine touch.

His defiance faded into cautiousness. There was a woman there. Better that than a dozen of cops, not that he couldn't deal with it, but he realized at that moment that he wasn't at the top of his physical strength. His body was numb. Though he was feeling better than he ever had since...frowning, he looked down, on his arms and chest, to notice at last that his wounds had been correctly treated.

He recognized professional work in the way the bandage had been wrapped around him, and deduced that he was at a doctor's place. The woman was either his wife or daughter, and probably, she was the one cooking now. He couldn't hear any talking, so maybe she was alone. If the man wasn't there he could get away very easily.

Only then he remembered what had happened before he lost consciousness. Not good, his brain was slow. Where was?

The door of the bedroom opened, he heard a gasp before he turned his head towards the intruder. The woman was on the threshold, holding a tray with medicine on it, and as he took a look at her face, astonishment struck him. He knew this face. Battousai's friend. The doctor.

They stared at each other for a long moment.

He was awake. It had taken Megumi by surprise. Considering his state, she hadn't expected him to recover so fast. She didn't know what to expect, now. He was a dangerous man. He was her patient, first, and he had to take the medication right now, she reminded herself.

She tightened her hold on the tray, and entered the room, kneeling and putting it on the tatami floor next to him.

He raised his brows, still trying to figure out how and why. She knew who he was, and she didn't seem afraid. Cautious, definitely, but not afraid.

"Where am I? What am I doing here?" he started.

She answered him, while pouring some potions in a cup.

"You're in my clinic, in Aizu. You've been there for the last two weeks. You were sick and injured. And obviously never had correct medical treatment for some old wounds."

"Where is..Oibore?"

She sent a sharp glance in his direction.

"The old man?" He had called himself Enishi's father, and whether it was true or not, she had rather be careful. The hesitation in Enishi's voice was intriguing, but she didn't want to have too personal conversations with him. It was none of her business.

"Yes."

"I don't know. He asked me to take you away."

"And you did." The tone was dubious AND mocking.

"Yes, I did. You have to drink this," she added dryly, "Or the pain will be back soon."

He just glared at her, with a cynical smile. "I don't think so."

"What do you think? That I'm going to poison you? You've been here long enough, I had many occasions to, or to give you up to the police, as a matter of fact. Now stop being stupidly paranoid and drink this."

Her tone was authoritative, but not overly so. She was talking to him like Tomoe did, when he was a kid, had the flu and refused to take the bitter potion supposed to heal him. She had a point, too. He took the cup and swallowed the greenish liquid. Not too bad a taste, for a medicine.

"Why didn't you? Call the police, I mean," he asked, handing her the cup back.

"You're my patient."

"How come?"

She extended her hand to put it on his forehead. Too surprised, he didn't try to escape her contact.

"You're still feverish. It'll help," she announced, nodding towards the empty recipient, and stood up.

He caught her wrist. "I want answers."

"The old man asked me, I told you. I'm a doctor; it's my job. Now release me, so I can bring you food. I could give you medicine and water, but you didn't eat in two weeks."

In a swift gesture, she freed herself from his grasp, and he let her. Her long hair made a gracious move as she turned around.

After she left, he pondered on what to do. Of course he couldn't trust her. Yet she seemed sensible, and she had no reason to call the police now that he was awake, if she didn't when he was at her mercy. Yes, he could wait and see. He needed to know what had happened to Oibore, too.

He woke up at dawn the next day. The breakfast was already prepared, in spite of the early hour, and once again the smell was filling the house. The previous day, when she had brought him fish, miso shiru and rice, he had oddly expected it to be as bad as Battousai's woman cooking. By association, probably. He had been wrong: the food had been delicious, and against himself, he was salivating at the idea of having some more. He had barely paid attention to the few he was feeding upon, in Rakuninmura, which was better in a way. He could survive on anything, yet precisely his experience had let him know the value of a good meal.

He decided to stand up. She had told him that she wouldn't answer any question while he was so weak and feverish. He had indeed slept most of the day again, and she had come back very, very late. She had looked so exhausted when she came to check on him, that he couldn't bring himself to ask her again, but now, he would.

He rose his body..and fell back on the futon, the helpless moves of his arms sending the vase on the floor, in a muffled crashing sound.

She rushed in immediately after.

"What do you think you're doing?" she exclaimed, kneeling next to him and helping him sitting back on the futon.

He pulled away from her, jerkily.

"I'm standing up..I was trying, at least," he hissed, venom filling his voice. "What kind of narcotic did you give me? I can't move."

Her eyes widened, her mouth dropped opened. "What..narcotic?" she stuttered.

She then shook her head, her hand clasping her forehead, and muttered: "Wonderful, another rooster."

When she stared at him again, it was his turn to be astonished. She was utterly furious, and exploded immediately.

"Are you MAD? Your ankle is broken, that's why you can't stand! Stupid, stupid man!"

She had stood up, dominating him, figure of outraged Reason.

"The bones were literally exploded, I had to operate, it took me HOURS to try to save your leg, and now that it's healing pretty well, you don't find anything better to do than putting all your weight on it? Let me see," she finished sternly, her anger disappearing as fast as it had appeared.

She didn't wait for his approval, and seized his leg. There were few, minuscule stains of blood on the wrapping. She undid it in rapid, precise gestures, and sighed.

"Don't move," she ordered, hurrying out of the room.

His gaze followed her. The woman was crazy. Were all Battousai's feminine acquaintances horrible harpies? There was the little excited one, on the island, and Battousai's woman, a fury, too..This one, for the few he remembered of her, had seemed more demure. Yet she was as instable as the others, and obviously delusional, he couldn't explain her talking about roosters otherwise.

Wait a minute. She had yelled at him like he was some rotten fish. Who the hell she thought she was? Women were NOT to address men this way, and he wasn't that caricature of man Battousai had become, to accept it. He was..

She came back with medical supplies, and, not even looking at him, sat on the futon and began to wash his foot. Opening his mouth to order her to stop, he took for a first time a view on his ankle, and the words died on the tip of his tongue.

It was swollen, red and violet, and the stitches were forming three long scars. At the moment he thought it should be hurting, he began to feel a throbbing pain. He knew it was very bad just by this one glance, he had seen enough wounds to understand it. Some drops of blood were dripping from the scar on the external side. She washed it, and applied some paste on it. The fresh and appeasing feeling told him only then, that he had been in pain since he had woken up. He took another look at her face. She was concentrated, her brows low on her eyes, her lips still pinched under anger, he could say, but her hands were sure and surprisingly gentle. Delusional or not, she knew her job.

"Will I walk normally again?" he asked, against his own volition.

She raised her face to look into his eyes. He noticed that hers had the color of cinnamon, and there was no trace of resentment in them anymore.

"Yes, I think so. If you behave, meaning if you rest correctly. It'll take time, of course, and maybe you won't be able to retrieve all your mobility. But you won't be disabled."

She had stated that with absolute certainty, so much that he believed her only on these words.

"Of course," she went on sternly, wrapping his leg and feet in new bandages, "only if you don't try foolish things again."

"You didn't tell me that my leg was broken," he argued.

"Aren't you all super warriors able to evaluate your own damages?" she snapped back.

He stiffened. To his surprise, she bit her bottom lip, as if she was regretful for her last words.

"I see.." she murmured.

A gong rang in the neighborhood. A Buddhist temple. It gave him the time, it was..

"Already 6!" she exclaimed. "I have to go. I'll bring you food in a minute, and I'll be back in a few hours."

At the door, she turned to him, and said, hesitantly: "Nobody knows that you're here. So don't move."

"As if I could," he muttered bitterly.

He heard what he knew was the entrance door opening and shutting, and moves through the wall. It was past noon, if he trusted the position of the sun, that he was able to see through the window.

She entered his room a few minutes later.

"How do you feel?"

"I have questions. I want answers."

He had spent the whole morning, now that his mind had cleared, trying to understand the situation, and to remember what had been in the report he had to be gathered about her, while he was preparing Jinchuu. It had been as frustrating as his forced immobility, and he wouldn't accept to spend the rest of the day like this.

They confronted each other, face to face, for several, endless seconds. She finally gave in.

"Very well. We can talk during lunch."

She had settled some food few minutes later, and some green tea, too. For a doctor, she was also taking care of the housework well. It was contradictory, but Takani Megumi, he was recalling her name, now, was a contradiction herself.

"So?" she asked, picking up the food with her chopsticks in the same precise, purposeful way that she had manipulated his wounded leg.

"So?" he repeated, slightly mocking. "Let's start with something simple. How did I get here? What happened to Oibore?"

"Do you remember where you were before you fainted?"

"Kyoto. Are you going to answer to my questions with other questions?"

"Only if you don't quit that arrogant tone. Don't glare at me like this. I'm trying to help you, so be sensible and less impatient."

He drank some miso shiru, cursing again inwardly at the woman's disrespectful behavior. Only the perspective that his questions would stay unanswered made him comply. He was at her mercy for now.

"You were in this little road, next to a cemetery. I was passing in a carriage, and I noticed two men, one evidently sick. I ordered the carriage to stop, and the old man, Oibore, is it? asked me to take care of you."

She hesitated. She didn't know if she could talk about the police. It would bring some questions on his part that she didn't want to answer. She didn't even know if she could, to be honest.

"We were pursued by the cops," he provided for her.

She nodded, avoiding his glance, eluding the implied interrogation. "We put you in the carriage, and I was waiting for him to get on, but he refused. He said he was going to distract them, and added that he was "just an old man". I guess he meant that he wouldn't be suspected."

"Old fool," whispered Enishi, so low that she barely heard.

"The carriage went immediately, and we went straight back, making as few stops as possible. I began to treat you with the material I had with me, yet your ankle's state was preoccupying, and I could take care of it only back here."

"We? You said that nobody knew that I'm here."

"Calm down. The carriage was driven by one of my patient. I can trust him."

Enishi snorted disdainfully.

"And he didn't see your face. Neither did I, by the way, before the carriage started again. I've been then careful that he didn't. He knows that I took care of a fugitive, but he doesn't know who it was, and believes that you left 10 days ago. Moreover, he has personal reasons not to go to the police, or answer to their questions. So, as I told you, nobody knows you're here."

He stayed silent for a while, slowly ingesting the food, and her explanations.

"The police could have traced to the carriage."

"If so, I have..friends in Kyoto, who would have known and figured it out. They would have warned me that the police was looking for it. They would even have come in person, probably."

Kyoto. Battousai had some contact in Kyoto. The Oniwabanshu. Takani Megumi. That rang a bell.

"Oibore must be looking for me, too," he let out, trying not to force his memories.

"I had the time to tell him where I lived, and he knows that I'm a doctor. He can easily find this place."

"If he wasn't caught."

She hesitated again. "If you're worried..I can contact these people in Kyoto, to know if an old man was arrested that day. Yet it would be suspicious. I would have a hard time explaining why."

Why. That was the most unbelievable part of that story. The one Enishi couldn't explain at all.

"Why did you do this? Why are you proposing to help me, knowing who I am?"

"You're stubborn," she sighed. "I told you several times. I'm a doctor. I have a duty to take care of sick, and wounded people, whoever they are. I make no distinction of good or bad: I took an oath. I treated some of Shishio's Juppongatana after the battle in Kyoto. I treated your men that Saitoh and Aoshi fought in your Tokyo repair. I treated your comrades, too. You saw me, at Kamiya Dojo and on the island. Or maybe you didn't notice then. But you're no exception. A patient."

"You're hiding me from the police. This is different."

"I don't do it for you," she replied quickly. "I do it for him."

She felt uncomfortable under the piercing blue eyes. Blue like the south sea in summer, with the difference that if the waters allowed to distinguishing the sand at their bottom, his gaze wasn't revealing anything of the soul hiding behind it. And her own answer had been unconscious, automatic, showing too much of something that she had realized only saying the words. Why she hadn't stop. Why she hid him. Why she wanted to help. And it was, probably, because of nothing but a lie.

"Still I tried to kill your friends. I made them suffer," he emphasized, not the least regretful, for what she could say. "Aren't you afraid that I'd go after him again?"

Not the least regretful, yes, though there was too much gall in his voice for him to be serious. He was testing her, challenging her, and suddenly reminded her of some kids who came to the clinic, pretending they'd do again whatever trick or stupid bet they got hurt doing, when they had no intention to. Except that childish tricks weren't the issue now. It was Ken- san, and Kaoru-san, and little Kenji. She had thought about that, of course, during these two weeks, and had drawn her own conclusions.

"Will you?" she nevertheless asked.

"What if I did? Will you get rid of me?" he proposed, a cruel and cynical smile twisting his lips.

"Baka. You're supposed to be an intelligent man, yet no matter how many times I repeat it, you just don't get it. I will never physically hurt you. But," she added, her cinnamon gaze darting into his, "if you had any intention to attack Ken-san again, I will call the police. In your state, you're at my mercy, and in this case I won't hesitate one second."

"And how would you explain them that you hid me for two weeks, knowing who I am? I'm still a traitor, do you know the penalty for being a traitor's accomplice?"

He had only wanted to make her aware that he wasn't stupid, nor as depending on her as she thought, yet her answer paralyzed him.

She had a disabused grin, and said, detaching clearly each word. "If my freedom has to be at the price of Ken-san's sorrow, I will gladly choose the penalty."

She meant it. He gazed at her face, beautiful and serious face, sad and determined face. She sustained his insistent look, and broke the contact to gather the empty plates, bowls and chopsticks on the tray.

She only talked again as she was almost out.

"But you and I know that you won't do that."

His eyes were still fixed on the door a long time after she had left.

The rest of the day, Enishi had spent uncomfortably, her answer still echoing in his head. What was with this man? Why women like his sister, or that doctor, or even the Kamiya girl, were willing to sacrifice their life for his miserable sake?

He wasn't very proud of himself either. After all, she had helped him and took care of him. Still he had provoked her. Each time he was closing his eyes, Tomoe appeared, not as sad as she had been during Jinchuu, but slightly reproachful. The expression was the one she had when he was being rude or ungrateful as a kid.

"Give me a break, Nee-san," he mumbled. "You have to admit that she doesn't make sense."

Takani Megumi had been working at her clinic all afternoon and part of the evening, checking on him from time to time. She had been very distant, yet not angry. She had even answered his questions about the location of the clinic. It was a juxtaposed to her house, on the opposite side to the room he was, so there was no opportunity for anybody to discover him. She had no patient hospitalized at the moment, either.

She had brought him dinner, and he afterwards heard her cleaning the other rooms. There were at least three others. He had got that from the different noises made by the doors. And one more door was leading to the clinic, he had heard distant voices coming from it each time she had opened this one in the afternoon. She then had gone to sleep, in the room next to his, some time ago, and he had fallen asleep, too.

His faculties were back, as he didn't drown into a deep slumber like the previous day. Hearing her talking in her sleep, he had woken up immediately. The walls were thinner between the bedrooms. She was having a nightmare. He couldn't get about what. She calmed down after several minutes, and he stayed still, lying on the futon, watching the ceiling.

"Please, save my daughter!"

The smoke, the yells, she was scared, and she was taken away from his comforting contact. The hammering noises were getting close, she was in the arms of somebody she didn't know, she didn't want to, she wanted to stay with him.

"Otosan!"

It was hell, they said it was like this, unbearable heat and destruction, and death, all around, and fear. She was terrified; everything was crumbling down, the loud sound amplifying in her head until she thought it was going to explode.

"Otosan!"

She woke up, panting, her throat constricted, she was trembling and sweating. Somebody was knocking loudly on her door.

She seized her yukata and closed it around her, shaking away her nightmare.

Enishi realized that he had fallen asleep again when the banging on the main door took him abruptly out of it.

The cops. He had to get out of here. The woman went out of her room while he was trying pitifully to kneel, and prepare to stand up. He stopped when he heard her opening the door, talking to someone and closing it again.

She appeared just a few seconds afterwards.

"It's an emergency. A birth," she explained, putting a plate with some sweets next to him. "I don't know if I'll be back on time for breakfast. Do you still have water and tea?"

He nodded.

"I told you not to move," she added, softly this time, her eyes conveying her understanding. "Try to sleep."

She was gone again.

To be continued..

Author's notes (general and for chapter 1):

About the genre, as it's an alternate pairing, the reasons behind it need to be justified (the title says what I think that Enishi and Megumi have in common), so the characters dealing with their past takes a good part of the story. It's a romance, but not a whirlwind one. There is also an action/mystery plot.

About the rating, there will be a bit of graphic violence later, it could pass for PG-13, but as some adult themes will be developed, I thought that a R-rating was safer.

Continuity/ inaccuracy points: Kenji's time of birth is arbitrary and probably wrong, my knowledge post-manga is close to zero, sorry. For Megumi's house and clinic, I chose a western style building (Oguni sensei's clinic is like this in the manga) with Japanese style interior, that's why it has doors and windows and not shoji.

About the grammar/vocabulary/style problems, I'm still not a native speaker (-). Sorry again!

Thanks a LOT, a thousand, a million to Firuze for her constant support, precious comment, advices, and sharing her knowledge with me (I'll be more precise later (-) Thanks for the suggestion of "revolution" in the fic's title!).

For the readers of "Preys" who might read this, I don't forget it and will update soon, I needed to sort out this short story before!

See you,

Kamorgana.


	2. Ode to my family

Disclaimer: RK and its characters are Watsuki's. No money for me, just fun. 

Children of the Revolution

Chapter 2: Ode to my family

6 weeks had passed since Enishi had first awoken in Aizu. He had gotten familiar with her house, by now. First by merely relying on the sounds he could hear, guessing where was the fire in the main room, where she kept the cooking devices, that one of the three rooms was a bathroom. He had recovered enough after two weeks to roll away from his futon, and search the bedroom he was in, under the annoyed look of Tomoe. There was nothing personal, unfortunately, nothing that could give him FACTS about that woman. Only spare clothes and old medical apparels in the wooden boxes, more sheets and other futons in the closet, and empty spaces inside. This room was obviously the one for the guests. He had wondered, rather disgusted, if Battousai had stayed in, and preferred to ignore the possibility.

It has been ten days since he got well enough to leave it, at last, and discover the rest of the place, bar her bedroom. The main room was quite big, and covered with tatami, too, with the notable exception of the space around the fire, which was forming a kitchen place. There was a difference of level because the floor there was just wooden. The furniture and decorations were the same style as his room, good quality, discreet and tasteful feminine arrangements. The toko no ma was in a corner near the main door, it was just a cavity in the wall, going from the middle of it to the ceiling, decorated with another piece of shodo, an ikebana, and a little object it took time for him to identify, as he couldn't get close enough, first. It was a small, preciously decorated medicine recipient. He had wondered why she was keeping it there instead of using it. She put a particular care in that arrangement, burning fresh incense everyday, and changing the ikebana every week.

He had realized only the last time she did, that the flower arrangement was her work. It was not the quality of what Tomoe could sort out, but his sister was gifted, and he had to admit that it was very good and well thought. He had observed her doing it, while finishing his breakfast, which he could now take in the main room, after she carefully locked the doors in case a patient would forget politeness and rush in. Once more, he had admired the precision of her gestures. There was not a wasted movement of the hand, not a single hesitation. Her fingers were flying more than moving, and the preparation of the flowers looked like a graceful, perfectly organized ballet. It had surprised him again that she spent time on feminine occupations. He thought that women who wanted to have works like men weren't able, or interested, in such.

She was an enigma. The shodo in his room read "kansha", gratefulness. The one in the toko no ma read "sasageru", offer. This was odd, he had judged at first, gratefulness would fit better in the place were the loved one were honored. It was in fact the only clue he had about her, he had quickly realized. She was offering everything to her patients. She didn't spare her time, or energy, when it came to them. She was sometimes leaving in the middle of the night, to come back at dawn, and received other sick people in the clinic after a quick breakfast.

Relying upon the number of people coming, he had assumed that she was surely living under her financial possibilities. He knew now that it wasn't the case. When he was allowed to stay in the main room while she was treating a patient, concession he had obtained after a fierce verbal fight, he would see her dropping by to put some food in the small cellar near the fireplace. She accepted to be paid in nature. He was suspecting that she wouldn't even be paid at all by her poorest clients. He grinned. He had used this word with her once, and she had severely scolded him. She wasn't running a business: she was a doctor. Sasageru. When she said she had taken an oath, it wasn't mere words. He hence got her attitude towards him better. She was helping him, treating him, and she had never reproached him with not thanking her. Giving was more important than gratefulness. She seemed disinterested, still he had some problems to fully believe that. Of course, Tomoe thought otherwise, and each time he was restraining himself not to say the "thanks" that came weirdly into his mind, he would see his sister's disappointed face.

He couldn't thank her, as he was too frustrated by his situation. He was actually depending on the woman, for things he had always provided for himself whatever the circumstances. When he couldn't move at all, he had felt like a pet, each time she put food or water on the tatami next to him. She didn't do anything to give him that impression, but it was the way he felt, and it was driving him crazy. He had insisted the first day he had woken up to clean himself, with the hot water and soap that she had brought to him. He had expected her to argue, she hadn't, not the slightest, and she had even seemed relieved. Probably, she was repulsed at the idea of taking care of him in this way, because he had attacked her friends. But if so, she wouldn't tolerate him in her house, and wouldn't have done it when he was unconscious. That was the first little thing that didn't fit perfectly with what he had witnessed of her so far, and he had to dig into this direction. He hadn't yet, for a good reason. The idea of her hands, moving lightly, purposefully, gracefully on his body had crossed his mind and created a swift and unwelcome rush of blood. He had discarded the gross thought immediately. Anyway, he was now in a sufficiently good shape to use the bathroom, she was just helping him to walk in.

That was what he should focus on. His physical state left a lot to improve.

After two years and so in Rakuninmura, he had recovered his whole mind, had reflected on what had been done to him, what he had done, and what he could do. He had found some kind closure. Tomoe wasn't smiling to him yet, but she wasn't sad anymore. Just expectative.

He wasn't afraid that she would disappear, or to loose her smile forever. He felt closer to her than he had ever been, not since her death, but since she had fallen for Battousai. He didn't understand her at that time, the last he saw her alive, the last they could talk and share some moments together. He had started to when Kamiya Kaoru had tried to protect Battousai on the island, it had triggered his memory, and he had felt what Tomoe had. Saving the girl had completed part of the circle in his head, he had relived these fateful moments, and this time he had prevented her to die. Only when Battousai had stopped him from killing Wu, he had realized it wasn't Tomoe. Yet the event had changed his perspective.

The diary had then turned his world upside down. He had discovered a Tomoe that he didn't know, whose existence he wasn't even suspecting. He had thought she accepted to marry Akira because it was his wish, and their families'. And she loved him. He had thought that she hated Battousai. And she loved him, too. He had thought that she was as calm and quiet as she seemed. And she had a tormented personality. She had been afraid, torn, guilty. The soothing presence of his sister was the only certainty he had grown up with, and realizing that his belief rooted on fine sand rather than on hard rock had shattered him. The biggest, most hurtful discovery had been that she had wished to die. She knew he was alive, that he was around, and that he needed her. Yet it hadn't been enough to give her the will to live. If he had known with only the image of her that he had before, he would have been destroyed. But the Tomoe of the diary had wishes and aspirations of her own, he wasn't the center of her world. He was precious to her, and his long self-introspection had taught him to accept it as enough. She had sacrificed a lot to him, during all those years, it wasn't as natural as he had always naively imagined. He didn't love or respect her less. He understood her better, and he was admiring the person that she really was, not the image he had created. It had its personal cost, but the truth was better. That was why he could have given up on the diary, that day, deposing it where it was before, in the temple.

One of the costs had been that he had barely taken care of himself. He had received some light treatment from Oibore, and the other inhabitants of the village, reluctantly, enough not to catch an infection or lethal disease. He didn't eat, only feeding himself from time to time, in an automatic gesture of survival. He hadn't trained, either. He had lived locked in his own world, and he was now weaker than he had ever been, even as a child, no muscle left. He had been too focused on his personal goal to pay attention to this when he had made this trip to Kyoto, he had been too careless, hence the broken ankle and his current situation.

He had to talk to the woman about that.

Things had to change. This day marked it, as for the first time, he had been able to stand up alone. Not very long, and leaning on the wall, but he could apply some weight on his wounded leg. The waiting was over, and the real recovery could begin.

He gritted his teeth in frustration. She had ordered him to stay in his room that day, as she was expecting some visitor. Not a cop, she had added, dryly. Hearing her approaching his room, he lied down and pretended he was asleep. He felt her gaze inspecting him, and instead of coming to check on him like she always did, she closed the door as cautiously as she had opened it.

His curiosity was aroused. Without a noise, he crawled to the door, and applied his ear on it.

Megumi closed the door, careful not to wake him up. His sleep was so light, and she would feel more comfortable meeting Kaneda knowing that Enishi didn't have a chance to hear her conversation.

The gate opened, and she hurried to open the door, before he could knock. That would surely wake her paranoid patient up.

"Hello, Takani-sensei."

"Kaneda-san, please come in."

She had prepared some tea and they settled in front of the small table. Kaneda was in his early thirties. He was a handsome man, always wearing western-style suits, his hair cut short and impeccably brushed, shining with cosmetics. He was looking like the perfect Meiji modern gentleman, yet his suave attitude was bothering Megumi in a way she couldn't explain.

"You seemed eager to see me, Takani-sensei," he began.

"Isn't it natural that I'm impatient to know if you have some news?" she answered, in an effort to stay polite. Definitely, she didn't like the man.

He sipped some of his tea, and she noticed that his little finger was hanging around in the air, like she had seen foreign women do during a trip to Yokohama with Ken-san and Kaoru-san.

"Unfortunately, I have nothing to tell you. I thought I had traced to your mother, as I told you during my last visit. The information was reliable, and I found this person, but she wasn't the one we hoped."

She tried to hide her disappointment. He gave her a sideway look. She wondered briefly how he could manage this while he was sitting in front of her.

"I have another lead on your brothers. Nevertheless.." He took a saddened expression.

"Nevertheless?"

"It may cost some money. More than what you gave me could cover."

"How come? I sent you 30.000 yens last month!" she exclaimed, puzzled.

"Informants aren't free, Takani-sensei, and neither are the travel expenses.."

"How much?"

"20.000 would be fine."

"You must be joking."

"I'm the best investigator of Western Japan, and probably of the country. If somebody can find your family, after more than 10 years, it can only be me."

She hesitated. "I don't have all this money right now. I gave you the last of what I have saved last time."

"You seem to have lots of patients."

"Most of them are poor and pay in nature, if you're such a good investigator, you ought to know that."

He seemed thoughtful for a minute, and she felt a beginning of nausea when he sent her a dirty, suggestive smile. She knew too well the meaning of it.

"How generous of you. Maybe I could be that generous and..accept some payment in nature, too.."

His hand was already moving towards her. She seized the little dagger she always kept on her, quick as light, darting it towards him threateningly.

"Get out of here. GET OUT OF HERE!"

"Come on."

"If you ever approach me again, I'll kill you. Is that clear?"

Frustration and malice shown in his eyes, there it was, that male, disgusting lusty and angry expression that she has seen so many times. She tightened her hold on her weapon, ready to aim for his throat at his any move.

He must have felt that she would do it without hesitation, as he stood up, in silence, and walked to the door.

"If you're being sensible again, contact me," he finally threw over his shoulder. "If you want to know what happened to your family, so to speak..Goodbye, Takani-sensei."

She was unable to move for an eternity. Then she let the dagger fall on the floor, collapsed on the table, her head on her crossed arms, and cried uncontrollably. The deceived hope for some news, the shock of being treated as a sexual object again, it was too much, she couldn't help. His disgusting gaze had transported her into the past, and no matter how terrifying her nightmares were, that small glimpse of it in her reality was more than she could stand.

Her tears dried, eventually, and she sighed. She had been swallowing in self-pity, but releasing the pressure had made her some good. Now, it was time for being practical. What could she do?

She had hesitated for some time, after settling in Aizu, to look for her family. She wasn't sure that she could face them, with the blood covering her hands. She had made a few researches on her own, but it had taken her several months to hire an investigator. Kaneda was indeed the most reputed one. She shuddered. She never trusted him, though, now she knew why. Her instinct had recognized the miserable lecher in him. Well, he was to be put behind, the only problem being that she was out of extra money to ask another one. She had to wait. It cost her, now that she had made the decision, but she had to be patient. She had delayed the search, so it was partly her fault, and her life had taught her that things weren't going according to people's timing.

She could still ask the Oniwabanshu. She knew that Misao would be delighted to help. Thinking of the girl, a real, guileless smile appeared on her lips. The mere thought of that little bundle of energy was cheering already. Even no progress reports would be encouraging if she took care of it. Aoshi was lucky, to have her all around him and..Aoshi. The reason why she didn't ask them in the first place. The reason why she couldn't, ever. His companions' death had happened in a fight to save her. She had a responsibility. She never voiced it, neither did he, but it was there, between them. She couldn't demand that him, or Misao even if she didn't see things this way, participate into bringing her back what she had lost, when she had a role to play in their own loss. It was indecent.

No, she had to save some more money, and then ask another private agency. This time, she would follow her instinct and rely on somebody she knew she could trust.

She stood up, putting the dagger back in her obi. She brought the cups in the kitchen corner, with utter repulsion. She felt like throwing his away. Her gaze fell upon the other sets of two cups or plates waiting to be washed.

Enishi.

He must have heard.

Hesitantly, she went to his room, opening the door with infinite precautions. He was lying on the futon, sleeping peacefully. That was weird. Her outburst should have awoken him. A dim worry invaded her. Maybe he was feverish again.

She heaved a sigh of relief as she put a hand on his forehead. It was fresh, no fever. The next second, the turquoise eyes were opened, and he murmured: "What is it?"

"I.I was just checking on your state."

"I'm fine. Don't you always tell me to rest? You should be happy."

"Sorry I interrupted your nap," she answered, lips pinched.

Back in the main room, she shook her head. He had heard. He pretended he didn't, what she was thankful for, but he had heard. He was still behaving like an ungrateful brat, yet the way he was looking at her had been different. The cautiousness and mockery always lightening the blue gaze had faded, and there was something, she couldn't define it, not compassion, not pity, but he had looked at her as a person, not as an enemy, not as a doctor. He had acknowledged her.

Enishi's blood was still boiling. This miserable pig. He had been about to rush in the room when she had yelled at him. He had noticed the dagger hidden in her obi before, that didn't surprise him or provoke particular defiance, as she was a woman living alone. Tomoe had one, too. He guessed she had used it to deter the bastard. Thinking about it, it was better that he didn't show up, and be discovered, but that didn't prevent him to feel murderous and frustrated. Ladies weren't to be treated as prostitutes, and, whatever she was crazy, Megumi was a lady. Women weren't to be forced, anyway, ladies or not, prostitutes or not.

The event had been very insightful, though. He knew more about her, her temper, and facts, too, for the first time. It had also proven how urgent it was for him to recover soon. And he had the name of someone he had a new score to settle with. Kaneda. Taking care of him would be a way to reward her for treating his wounds, when he was in shape again. A figure appeared behind his closed lids.

"What, Nee-san? Didn't you blame me for being ungrateful? Why are you disapproving, now?"

But Tomoe's face stayed unmoved.

Passing the communication door from the clinic to her house, Megumi almost fell down from surprise as she spotted Enishi, standing up in the doorframe of his room.

"WHAT are you doing again?" she stormed.

"I can stand up. We have to talk."

"Sit down. Let me help you."

She had run to his side, but he rejected her.

"I can do it alone."

She noticed the little pearls of sweat on his forehead, his gritted teeth, and the slight trembling of his legs. Shaking her head, she let him. He was able to fall again if she tried against his will.

"What do we have to talk about?"

"I want to train. I've no strength left." He spat the words.

Demanding, stubborn, authoritative. This man was unbelievable. She should consider herself lucky that he had provided her with the beginning of an explanation. They had to talk, indeed. He had to realize his complete physical state. He was a thickhead, yet she was used to thickheads. And Yukishiro Enishi being granted more brains than the Rooster, he'd be hopefully sensible about it.

"Let me see you ankle."

She examined it, before looking at him with an encouraging smile.

"Yes, I think that the bones are solidified. But you can't start a training right now, you have to reeducate it first."

"Reeducate?"

"Retrieving the mobility. It's the following of the little exercises that I made you execute during these last two weeks."

"It helped," he admitted. "But it can't be enough. I can do more."

"I'm sure that you think so." Lifting her hands to stop his protestations, she went on: "We have to discuss your physical condition, Enishi, and I have questions that I want you to answer, to precise my diagnosis."

"Why should I? I feel good."

"Didn't you realize that how you feel and how you're doing are two very different things?" she unleashed, loosing some of her patience.

His composure broke, his eyes widening behind his sunglasses.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have put it like this," she apologized.

"Go on." His face was impenetrable.

"I'd like you to answer about the way you broke your leg. Do you remember how it happened?"

"Yes."

"Can you tell me?" she asked gently. She didn't want him to close, trust between doctor and patient was important, particularly when it came to announce bad news.

He stared at her with his deep, deep blue eyes, searching something in hers. She didn't avoid his examination, and he finally talked.

"I was at the cemetery, with Oibore. This is the place were..."

"Tomoe-san rests," she provided.

"Yes. I don't know how they found us. Finally, I'm not even sure that they were actually after me. Anyway, I heard the whistles. We escaped to the very end of the cemetery. It's the way I usually get in. I should have that day too, but the old man wasn't in shape. I carried him on my back, and jumped over the wall to reach the street."

"Wait a minute. It was terribly high! How could you.."

"The other side of the wall isn't. I told you, I did it several times."

"With Oibore-san on your back. And there you broke your ankle."

"I don't know. I reached the ground and all went black. I woke up here."

"You fainted under the pain."

"I didn't feel any pain."

Her cinnamon eyes filled with concern. "That's what I thought," she muttered, before asking clearly: "But you're aware that it should have hurt, aren't you? You surely had fractures before."

He nodded slowly. "You have an explanation for that."

"Yes. Here is what I could deduce from your state when you arrived, and your reactions here. You have been barely feeding yourself, and barely drinking too. You had no treatment, no real treatment, for your wounds after Jinchuu. I don't know where you were hiding, but you were physically vegetating from this time on, I'm sure of it. Your muscles and bones were, are still, fragile because of this. You may have done the jump many times, but your legs weren't strong enough anymore to endure the shock, especially with the old man on your back. This is why your ankle broke so completely. The reason why you could do it..you know as well as me where it lays."

"The nerves of insanity."

"I think that after the psychological shock that you received on the island, your spirit took completely over your body, which was provided with just enough not to fall apart completely. I don't know why it happened, the sheer will to go on, maybe, but the fact that you don't feel pain unless your brain acknowledges it became a usual reflex, not part of an attack that you can control. You've been living on your nerves, Enishi, obviously for several years, so your whole nervous system is now deregulated. That's why you can't know how you really do, because your brain is automatically dismissing the idea of pain or weakness. And that's why you can't start to train right now. You have to reeducate not only your leg, but you also have to reconnect your brain and your body."

"I should learn to be in pain again? Don't be ridiculous. This is a precious advantage to fight.."he retorted, haughtily. He had more or less expected what she just told him, and was beginning to see the possibilities already.

"BAKA!"

Here it was, she was mad again. He glared at her, but she didn't pay attention, speaking in a passionate tone.

"Don't you realize that pain is a SIGNAL? It tells when your body has reached its limits before it breaks; it's a symptom that allows to detect the diseases before they can't be healed. It says that something is wrong."

"I thought that doctors were supposed to erase the pain, not to praise it."

"AFTER it indicated us what is wrong, so we can correctly treat the problem. Then it's a needless suffering to our patients. And it's the same for you, fighters of all sorts. When you train, how do you realize that you made some progress? Isn't that when you can perform more kata or whatever you do, without your body getting tired and sore? Pain shows the limits."

"Training is about pushing the limits."

"Not erasing them. Whatever strong your mind can be, there are limits, physical, undeniable limits to what a body can take. There's always a moment when the bone will break, when the veins will be torn apart and blood will flow. You're lucky that it was only your ankle. You can go on like this, it's your decision. But next time, it may be your neck, it can be the base of your vertebral column, and you'll die or end-up as a vegetable, doing something you thought was harmless. A stupid death for a stupid man."

Silence fell upon them. He had cast his glance down, so had she.

"What is the program that you propose?" he said after a long, long time.

She lifted her head, and couldn't help to give him a little smile. "We'll start tomorrow."

"I need to go out. I'm getting claustrophobic."

Her smile faded. She had won, well she had won in HIS interest, and he was bargaining again.

"That's what you said already for getting out of the room. It's too dangerous."

"There is your private garden on the other side of my room. Nobody ever goes there. I need fresh air, not only from an opened window. And I can't use crutches on the tatami."

She had thought this moment would come, anyway. Sighing with resignation, she took a bottle from the wooden box next to her, and put it in front of him, on the table.

"What IS that?"

"A hair dye. It's black. And stop wearing your sunglasses. Nobody will recognize you then."

His stupefied expression changed into a somewhat appreciative one. She had prepared that moment. Indeed, she was smart.

"The reeducation is going to take some time, you can't stay hidden forever anyway. When you feel better enough to go out, I'll think about a convincing lie to explain your presence here."

"I can do that."

"You could, yes. You have brains, I can see that now," she admitted.

"Because I followed your advice?" he grinned

"Precisely."

She was smiling again. Really smiling. Their eyes crossed, and he felt her going as awkward as he was.

"I have to prepare dinner," she said quickly, too quickly.

"I'm going to dye my hair."

She was taking good care of him. She'd help him to recover; he was certain now that he could trust her on that. But he was still the man who had sworn and tried to destroy her friends. She wasn't going to forget that. Weirdly, that thought was bothering Enishi.

They were finishing dinner, the atmosphere being less tensed than he had thought, as they had found a neutral ground of conversation in the way she intended to direct his reeducation, when a soft, pressing knock on the door attracted his attention.

She made him a sign not to move, and opened the door some inches. To his surprise, she then turned to him, pushing the panel away. Oibore was standing under the porch.

To be continued.

Talk about a quick update (-)

Continuity/ inaccuracy points: I have NO, but absolutely NO knowledge concerning medicine. The physical state of Enishi seems to be sticking to what is explained in the manga ("this man can't be in pain unless his brain has decided it"). It seemed plausible to me that he ignored unconsciously his physical state, the time he could sort out his psychological trauma, but of course it has no scientific bases and I apologize to the people it bothers. The toko no ma is a particular room or corner in traditional Japanese house, to welcome to the guests, and there's always at least a piece of shodo (calligraphy) and most of times a flower arrangement (ikebana). The altar to honor the memory of the beloved ones is usually in the main room or in that room. Sasageru means offer (to a divinity, or with a notion of sacrifice), devote, dedicate. Kansha is the formal word for gratefulness.

The character development is, as I said previously, very important, and I don't think that Enishi could really make a new start before dealing, one way or another, with Tomoe's memories, hence this "insight" chapter. But action is coming, too.

I would like to thank, again, one million times Firuze for her support and help and everything. I know that you recommended this story. I'm so glad that you like it, as I enjoy your fics so much. You know that I love Enishi's character (I think that he's my second favorite now, but I'm a hopeless Saitoh fan!), and I hope that I'll never disappoint you when I write about him. And thanks for your nice review, too!

Thanks a lot to the people who reviewed, who have past the odd combination of these two and read, and I hope that the following will satisfy you. I really appreciate all the nice reviews and comments!

A big THANK YOU to all of you!

Next chapter: Enishi has to deal with the return of Oibore and the anger of Megumi. His curiosity about her leads him to a major discovery about Kenshin.

See you!

Kamorgana.


	3. Bury the Hatchet

Disclaimer: RK isn't mine, it's Watsuki's. I borrowed the characters for fun only. 

Children of the Revolution

Chapter 3: Bury the Hatchet

Enishi's enthusiasm at beginning the real work on his physical shortcomings had been somewhat dampened by Oibore's arrival. On the one hand, he was relieved that the old man made it. On the other hand, he didn't really know how to react.

Megumi's attitude wasn't helping. She had been obviously expecting for something, at first. She had let Oibore in, her cinnamon eyes going alternatively to one then to the other, disappointment clearly showing as he had greeted the visitor distantly. The other had responded by that jolly laugh he used to hide his real feelings, and apologized for showing up so late. Though he had escaped in Kyoto, he had traveled a lot, just in case, and had let appeared some puzzlement at Enishi's being still there. Megumi had immediately told him the whole truth: she was related to Battousai and knew who Enishi was. She had also explained how wounded he was, to Enishi's displeasure, even more as concern had filled his strange companion's face.

Megumi had since then treated Oibore with deep respect, showing some traditional attitudes, like bowing when presenting him the food. He had never thought she could do that. He had never seen her being modest, in any way. Gentle, yes, but she was too aware of her worth, of her skills, and of her beauty too, to act like this. It troubled Enishi. He was just an old homeless, why should she change her behavior for him? Oibore himself had been surprised, and asked her several times to stop, turning himself into a laughingstock. She had gone on this way, stubbornly. That was more like her, yet it was highly disturbing. The more Oibore was lowering himself, the more deferent she acted. She had insisted that he'd stay, she even wanted to provide him with her own room, which Enishi never had any opportunity to glimpse at. They had both protested, outraged, though it was probably not for the same reason. Oibore was hence sleeping in the same room as Enishi, on one of the spare futons.

It had been two months, and Enishi still had some mixed feelings about the situation. His intimacy with Oibore was different than anything they had shared during more than two years in Rakuninmura. Perhaps, the fact that they weren't under an endless, starry sky, but prisoners of a small room, had this effect on him. He had felt that way before, during the rainy seasons or the worst of winters, when, oblivious of his indifferent attitude, the old fool had snuggled close to him, handing a rice straw-made panel above their heads for hours, or sharing his thin and dirty blanket with him, whereas Enishi already had his own. There was a comfortable sensation lingering then, yet Enishi knew perfectly well to what extend Oibore could offer him protection or comfort. The least he could say was that it wasn't much.

Megumi's attitude had inflicted. She wasn't formal with Oibore anymore, as a silent, implicit complicity was bonding them now. She was still respectful, but as soon as he had stopped putting on his lower-than-dirt show, she had let down her modest ways. He was helping her with the clinic, doing some small errands and welcoming the patients. Oibore's arrival had been noticed from the neighborhood, and she had taken advantage of it, to build it into a lie in order to explain Enishi's presence, pretending that they were old friends of her late father. She implied that they had arrived together. It was a sure bet, as Aizu, the city which had stayed the longer faithful to the Bakufu, was still living in a kind of organized chaos, even the cops couldn't really say who was who. It also prevented any gossip, Oibore's presence legitimating Enishi's, and the fact that they were living in her house. She had also provided them with a background, and according to it they were father and son. The implacable light in her eyes when he had protested had told him that she knew. How, he could guess, but he wasn't going to ask Oibore. He didn't want to have anything to do with it.

It cost him, again. Enishi particularly hated the way he was likening Megumi to his dead daughter. As beautiful, as ladylike, as polite and respectful as she had been, he said. Enishi was feeling restless each time. He felt like shaking some sense into the old man. The third person, the omission of the name was unnerving enough, yet it was not the point. Oh he loved Tomoe, more than anything, anyone in the world. But Megumi had a strength, a way of expressing her mind, that Tomoe would never, ever had have. They were similar on shallow points, but oh so different deep down! The doctor's awkwardness at his praising comments had only reinforced Enishi's belief that she knew who was the daughter in question.

Shaking his anger away, he stretched his arms out of the hot tub, satisfied as he felt his muscles playing. Megumi had been very strict, with that reeducation stuff, and sometimes he thought he hated her. She was setting limits, she was holding him on, and she was right. She had let him work on his upper body more than on his legs, though, and the difference was palpable. He had been surprised the first time that their séance had left him trembling, his muscles sore. She had been utterly, sadistically happy about it. He was getting better, according to her twisted point of view. He refused to agree, although he was feeling more in harmony with his body than he had in a long time. He was now welcoming the bath he could take after their common training. He was only washing his body before, and since Oibore was there, he could get help to dive into the hot, soothing water of the tub. That was a change for the better. He had never dared to ask her to. There was something in her attitude that stopped him. Not because she didn't take enough care of him. She was awfully busy, a summer's wave of cold and the typhoons striking the island in late august having brought her a good share of sick or wounded people, but everyday, she was spending at least 3 hours with him, helping him in his exercises to recover his full mobility.

He got out of the bath, in still unsure, shaky moves. It was an improvement, though. Soon he wouldn't need Oibore to help him anymore. He managed to enter his bedroom, exhausted by the effort, and laid on the futon, waiting for strength to come back to him.

It was dark when he woke up. Shit, was he still that weak that walking alone would make him falling into a deep slumber? Looking over the window, he realized that the full moon was already high in the sky. It was sure past midnight.

Getting rid of his towel, he grabbed his yukata, wrapping it around his now dry, naked body, wondering if the two others already had dinner. He doubted it, otherwise a tray would be waiting for him next to his futon and Oibore would be snoring loudly next to him. He had got used to that, too. He heard some plaints. She was having a nightmare again, and she wasn't in her room. He opened carefully his door, and got a glimpse on her. She had fallen asleep, head resting on the coffee table. He was moving forward when the clinic door opened, and Oibore came in. He saw the compassion in the old man's eyes.

"Otosan!" she called softly.

Oibore went closer, and patted her shoulders.

"Otosan!" she whispered again.

Suddenly she opened her eyes, and he saw awareness slowly dawning into the sad, widened orbs, before she turned to Oibore.

"You had a nightmare, Takani-sensei," he began, distancing himself from her, but she wouldn't let him.

She maintained his hand on her shoulder, murmuring: "Just a moment, please."

Megumi was ashamed of her unrestrained behavior. She could only deplore it, not fight it. The recurrent nightmares about her father had pursued her each day since Enishi was at her place. This man's words had provoked them, she was aware of it, and she needed him to take it away.

Oibore smiled to her, soothingly.

Enishi didn't want to witness it, but part of him was fascinated. Once, once only he had seen him like this..so long ago..And she was so vulnerable. He had heard her having nightmares before, but never his eyes had witnessed her distress.

She finally let go of the old man's hand, stiffening to recover her usual polite demeanor.

"I'm sorry," she said with her calm voice. "I was still.."

"It's OK, it's OK! No offense," laughed Oibore, patting her shoulder again. This time his movements were awkward, forced, so different from the previous sure, fatherly ones.

Instead of taking the opportunity to dismiss carelessly the embarrassing event, she gazed at him thoughtfully, like when she was forming a diagnosis, and Enishi could feel the growing uneasiness of Oibore.

"You didn't lie to me, did you?" she asked. She had guessed because of his relief when he saw that Enishi was still at her place, and the worry he had shown when she had told him about the wounds. He had told the truth in Kyoto. But she wanted certainties now.

Oibore took some time to answer. She didn't give up.

"You are," she stated.

Enishi closed the door, sat on the futon, and began to repeat some exercises that she had shown him, emptying his mind, focusing on his wounded ankle. Yes, she knew, and what would follow was none of his business. He didn't care.

Oibore glanced at her face. It was beautifully sophisticated, like his beloved daughter's, but the features had a determination that his sweet Tomoe never had, to his knowledge, although he conceded that it wasn't much.

"Yes, I am," he admitted, both reluctant and relieved to at last say the truth.

"His father. Their father," she insisted, as she felt his need to say not only the truth, but the words.

"Yes, I am their father," he repeated, solemnly.

"He knows, doesn't he?"

Oibore stayed stubbornly silent this time, but she was sure of this. Enishi's attitude was too peculiar, his refusal of the fake identity she had provided too unreasonable for her to think otherwise.

"Why are you doing this? Why are you accepting his attitude?"

"He has every right to. I never did anything.."

"But you're his father," she exclaimed, bewildered. How could Enishi reject him like this? It was beyond her comprehension. If only she had the same luck, she wouldn't..

"How did you loose yours?" he asked then.

She glanced down. "Here, during the fire. The whole city was burning. My mother and brothers had stayed home, and he had let me go with him to visit some patient. Then suddenly..everything crumbled down. We were trying to make it home, but everybody was going crazy, people fighting in the streets, fire was setting everywhere. We were in a house, I don't know how or why. He put me in a man's arms, he wanted me to be safe, I didn't want to. Now I think he was trying to get some people out of there, I think I followed him though he told me not to. I'm not sure..I only can see the house collapsing on him." Her voice broke. "He died there."

"Your father was a doctor, too? That old lady told me."

"Kobayashi-san? She's one of the few who remember him. He was, and both my brothers."

"She said he was a good man. You can be proud of him. And he would surely be proud of you."

She laughed bitterly. "I'm sure he isn't."

Oibore didn't answer, too puzzled at her dry, disabused reaction. She was the one to speak again.

"When did you find him? How?"

"Fate," he mused, "or coincidence? I found him in Rakuninmura.."

He felt her tensing. Her eyes had once again this scrutinizing light that she had only when confronted to a difficult case, at her clinic.

"You..are you this man? You helped him..He said so, Yahiko and Misao too.."she stuttered, after a long, breathless pause.

He nodded, whispering: "He was there when my dear daughter.."

She pressed his hands, and he wanted to go with his careless persona of Oibore, yet her seriousness prevented him to.

"You're a good man. She is surely proud of you, and HE should be," she asserted.

He shook his head. "You don't know my sins.."

"You don't know mine either," she murmured regretfully.

His glance sharpened, as if he was trying to read her soul, and she realized suddenly how alike father and son were, in a way.

She didn't want him to know, though. She stood up, ending the conversation, and announced:

"I really have to prepare some food. It's awfully late, and you must be starving."

She was bending on the pot, re-animating the fire, when he said, simply.

"He never thanked you."

"I'm not doing this to be thanked."

"Sasageru. It's your life, isn't it?"

She whirled to him. He was still on his knees, and bowed, face hitting the tatami.

"Thank you for taking care of my son."

She opened her mouth to protest, but the light blue eyes were full of such an emotion that she ended up speechless. He needed to say that, too.

"You're welcome," she smiled, bowing too in response.

Enishi closed again the door, swiftly, silently. He slid under the sheets, knowing that they were soon to remember his presence. Oibore would respect his attitude, but he was sure that Megumi wouldn't let him pretend unless she thought he didn't hear. He wasn't even sure that she would let him anyway.

Two days. He took her two days to explode. He had felt her resentment growing. Infuriated at himself for not resisting the temptation to spy on her conversation with Oibore, he had been more distant than ever, especially now that he could walk alone. She could have as well attacked him with her dagger, it would have been less menacing than the utterly exasperated gaze she was putting on him each time he was addressing the elder like he was a complete stranger. Which he was, he reminded himself.

They were in the main room; it was already late evening. She was preparing a new ikebana, with pink forget-me-not and deep green bamboo leaves. A strange combination, yet he had no doubt that it would be a good one after she arranged them.

"I'm starving," he hinted.

"Oibore-san went to Kobayashi-san's place, to give her that new medicine I prepared today. We'll eat when he's back."

Enishi snorted. That did it for her, and she slammed her scissors on the table, throwing the plants around.

"You, ungrateful, arrogant brat!" she yelled, standing up suddenly.

She could dominate him when he was unable to move, not anymore, and he imitated her. She was tall for a woman, but he was taller. A little pinch in his ankle ended to exasperate him, too.

"Who do you think you are, woman?"

"And you," she hissed, out of herself. "Who are you to treat your father in such a way?"

"It's none of your fucking business! What do you know about him? Or about me? He doesn't care, I don't care, so stay the damn fuck out of it!" He was the rudest he could, but that didn't deter her.

She laughed mockingly. "He doesn't care? What I know? All right, tell me what he did so wrong.."

She was so challenging, so sure of herself, that it broke his last restraint and he spat:

"He never cared. He was never a father to me, when he had the occasion to. Working, drinking, sleeping, that was all he did. Tomoe explained it. She said he was a samurai and that his only duties were to the daimyo, the shogun Tokugawa-sama, and the emperor. That's why he couldn't be with us, but we would be protected, no, he would protect us if a war were to take place. And guess what. He didn't. He was weak, he was helpless, and our family was torn apart. And Tomoe died. And he did nothing to prevent it, nothing, nothing!"

He was hysterical now, his turquoise eyes filled with angry lightening, thunder roaring in his voice. Too furious, Megumi didn't pay any attention to his dangerous stance, and kept the beat, her voice reaching its highest pitch.

"How terrible. Was he beating you? Leaving you to sleep with the dogs? Sold you to slave traders? Did he DO anything to purposefully hurt you? I know you had a hard life, but did he wish you to have it? Wouldn't give now his own life to change it if he could?"

They were facing each other, out of breath. Suddenly, Megumi sat down again, re ordering the flowers on the table.

"Is that all you have against him? That he wasn't strong enough, that he didn't show you any affection the way Tomoe-san did? Is that only why you resent him?"

Her voice was sensible, and her tone so sad, that his overwhelming furor disappeared at once. He settled again in front of the table.

"I don't resent him," he admitted. "I did, before, but not anymore. I even kind of..appreciate him. You can't understand. He doesn't need me, and I don't anymore."

"How can you be so sure?" she whispered softly.

Cynicism dominated him again. "I survived alone, without him, and even without Tomoe. I don't need him."

"I wasn't talking about you," she objected, cutting a bamboo with her scissors in a swift and sure move.

His heart missed a beat.

Her glance never leaving her task, she kept talking in the same smooth intonations.

"My family wasn't from the samurai class, but my father had enough patients in it so I can know about the way of the sword. The fathers were always distant. It was the way they were taught to be. Tomoe-san was right, when she explained you. They were living for and by the Bushido, and, though their lives belonged to their daimyo, protecting their families was one of their duties. Like you wanted to protect Tomoe-san. Did you ever consider that your father has been as hurt as you were, even more, by his failure to protect his children? Did you ever try to put yourself in his place? I'm sure it shouldn't be so difficult."

Enishi's throat constricted. He had never put himself in Tomoe's place before the island. His sister's face appeared to him, she wasn't talking but her black eyes were trying to tell him something.

"According to yourself, your father was only guilty of something he couldn't control. He had limits. Is the way you want people to be more important than what they really are? Do you need them to be flawless to accept them?"

Tomoe wasn't perfect. Tomoe didn't need him as much as he did. He had been hurt when he found out. Yet he still loved her.

She finished the arrangement, and he was gazing at the natural yet elaborated harmony she had created. Only then she looked into his eyes again.

"He told me that he was your father in Kyoto. I wasn't sure it was true. I knew the moment I told him that you were sick. Because he was concerned. And most of all, because he looked guilty. I don't know what happened with you in Rakuninmura, but I'm sure that he was aware of your physical condition in Kyoto. Yet he went with you, in spite of that, or because of that. Only parents can care that much, to accept their children's mistakes, to witness their pain whatever it hurts them, to accept the way you've been treated him since he's there. And probably since you met again."

The rainy seasons, the winters' memories filled his mind, so violently that his brain began to throb painfully.

Holding the vase with infinite precautions, she put it in the toko no ma before lighting some incense. Her voice was only a whisper as she finished.

"And you know why I accepted to take care of you in Kyoto? Because when he asked me, I saw the same light that was in my father's eyes, the last time I saw him, as he begged this stranger to save me from the fire."

She had taken the little medicine box, and was gazing at it, thoughtfully.

He had to get out of there. On shaky legs, he returned to his bedroom.

Enishi entered the clinic the next morning, after doing his first series of exercises alone in his room. He had waited for Megumi and Oibore to leave the house. He had cautiously avoided both of them since his conversation with her, pretending to sleep again.

An old, little shrunk woman was sitting on a chair, Oibore chatting with her animatedly, and Megumi was at her desk, writing something down.

"Ozawa-san, is that finally your son that I see here?" asked excitedly the at least century-old thing.

He bowed, curtly, remembering his fake identity. "I'm Ozawa Tetsuro. Yes, this is my father. Takani-sensei, I wondered if you could give me some new bandages."

Her expression had been blank for 30 good seconds, he noticed with satisfaction. Then she smiled gracefully. "Of course, Ozawa-san."

"What a handsome boy you have here!"

He nodded to his father before following Megumi to the supply closet. The old man had smiled heartily to him. It made him feel good. Megumi smiled again, handing him what he had asked for. That felt even better. Leaning on the communication door after he came back to the house, he closed briefly his eyes. Tomoe was smiling to him, too. She had since he had taken his decision to give their father a chance.

"You can make a fuss about it if you want, Nee-san. But don't expect me to let them," he grinned.

To their credit, they didn't even try to. His father was adjusting to his pace. They would have to talk about the past one day, probably, but neither of them was in a hurry, satisfied with the situation. Obviously, Megumi didn't intend to push things farther again. She was satisfied, too.

That should bother him. He was, somehow, kind of..well, grateful for her to have helped him seeing things in another perspective. On the other hand, he had let her convince him. The fact that she had been surprised at his swift change of mind was moderating its extend, still she had influenced him.

That didn't bother him. Something else did. She knew almost everything about him, and he was still clueless about her. He remembered the report about her now. Family of doctors, disappeared in the Aizu battle, and nothing until she had come out of the blue into Battousai's circle. The only odd thing was that report Seta Soujiro had made to Shishio, about Shinomori wanting to kill her in order to find their enemy's whereabouts. They had seemed to know each other, according to the little man. They had found it curious, too. That was why the Oniwabanshu/ Takani Megumi association had immediately impressed him, during their first conversation.

She was now in good terms with the Oniwabanshu. Well, Battousai was too. Had she been first connected to him or to them? No matter how he was trying to order his limited knowledge, he couldn't find an answer.

And it was becoming an obsession, he was conscious of it. He had been living in her house for 4 months, he was spending several hours each day with her, he knew her in some way, and her life was still a mystery to him. He had to know.

She had gone to visit a patient again, and her room was just next to his. Oibore was supposed to keep company to Kobayashi-san at her house for the afternoon. He had some time in front of him.

Determined, he entered her place. It was not the forbidden realm that he had expected. In fact, it was very similar to his own room. It was more feminine, with the embroidered covers on the futon, a mirror and make up on top of a wooden box of the corner, and the design on the closet were of pastel pink instead of the green in the other rooms. He approached it, and stopped short.

He felt sacrilegious and rather pervert at the idea of searching in her clothes. He didn't know if there were some in the boxes, too, not kimonos but underwear, that would make him feel even more uncomfortable. The thought of that pig, Kaneda, crossed his mind. He couldn't do that.

For anybody else, he wouldn't have minded, but it was not anybody, it was Megumi. His doctor. His..what? Somebody he had a relative trust in. Who trusted him enough to open her house to a man she knew was a criminal. She would never forgive him if she discovered him here. He could sense it.

He got out, bewildered at the sudden attack of his moral sense. What happened to him, that he was getting so delicate? Soon he could help her with ikebana, maybe, or do the laundry, and even cook for her, if he wanted to behave like a lady.

He wanted answers, if there were somewhere it was in her room, so he would go, and search everywhere.

He was ready to push the panel open again when something grazed on the main door, startling him. He sighed as he saw the letters falling on the entrance floor, through the little slit of the door.

That was a better idea. He went to pick them up, his jaw clenching as he saw the upper one. Kamiya Dojo, Tokyo. Battousai.

He opened it without even taking any precautions. It was more an instinctive reaction, than anything else.

To Megumi-dono,

At last the summer's heat is over, may the freshness of September arrive with this letter, which will I hope find you well.

It has been a while that we didn't hear from you, we guess that you are very busy taking good care of your patients, and I would like to reiterate my gratitude for your spending so much time with us in Tokyo. I know that Kaoru-dono wouldn't have survived without you, despite your soothing protests.

Kenji is growing up and healthy, and Kaoru-dono asks me to stress how beautiful our son is. His eyes will be the same color as mine, as you thought. He has more and more hair, too, and they're darkening a little. We are planning to take him to Yokohama, and to make pictures soon. We will send you one so you can see by yourself.

I finally talked to her, last month. She has been very shattered. She really wanted many children. I underestimated this, unfortunately. She seems back to normal, she is very brave as always, yet she is now overprotective with Kenji. She carries him with her all the time, and refuses that anybody approaches him but me. He isn't very pleased when I do, though. Thank you for the letter you left me, too, your advice has been a great guidance in my attitude, which would have been clueless otherwise, I'm afraid. I trust your opinion that her behavior, that you have so cleverly foreseen, is only a phase.

This is merely a concern, and as I know you, I would like to reassure you. I'm blessed with my wife and son, and I'm happier than I've ever been. I'm unworthy of such bliss, and I own it to you in part.

We had a letter from Sano, he's somewhere in Siam, at least he was! He tells you that he's taking care of his hand, and hopes that you aren't missing too much your most interesting patient. You know how Sano is..

Misao-dono sent us a message this morning, by their usual way. Now I have to wash some of the sheets again, as the messenger left a little souvenir on them. It seems that Aoshi and Misao-dono are to be wedded next year. She then sent a message for Kaoru-dono, and Okina-dono sent me two other ones, to give us some details and about the (not Aoshi's style at all) ceremony that he plans. You should hear from them soon.

Everybody wishes to see you there, Kaoru-dono and I will be glad if you could visit us until then, at any time.

Please take care of your health,

Himura Kenshin.

He read the letter several times, even the details he didn't care about. He didn't know how many times, but he stayed there, immobile, for an eternity.

The opened letter was suddenly ripped off his hands.

"How dare you!" she yelled in his face, then she looked down at the paper, and frowned. She finally gazed at him, distant, cold. "Never do this again."

"Are you going to call the police?" he proposed cynically. "To protect your dear Battousai from me?"

Frowning again, Megumi realized what he was implying. That she thought he was going to hurt Ken-san again. She had never really believed he would in the first place, it wasn't to do it now, when they had spent all these months in that closed, little space; that she got to know him, too. She didn't take the decision to let him stay at her place and hide him from the police lightly. She had reflected on it during the two weeks he had been unconscious. He had saved Kaoru-san. He had the diary. He had been so shattered on the island, after the duel was over. She was familiar with hate enough to know when it died, and she had seen the hate dying in him. And now, she was sure that she had taken the right decision. Enishi wasn't rotten to the bone, like they had believed, far from it. He had been blinded by his hate and committed crimes. He wasn't the same person as during Jinchuu, and although the Tiger didn't loose his clutches, he wouldn't use them against Ken-san anymore. She was glad that she helped the real person he was, no matter how unnerving and difficult he could be. But she had to settle boundaries clearly.

"Never intrude my privacy again, or you're out of here," she uttered clearly. "Now, don't stay too long on that leg, you should rest a little before we start today's exercises."

"I could go after him."

Childish gall again. "If you say so," she answered indifferently.

"I hate him."

"No you don't."

He tightened his fists. After he lost over Oibore, she wasn't going to have her way again. She was right, though. He had realized reading Battousai's letter, and was still shocked at the discovery. Learning that Battousai had a son had reactivated the old reflex, the old bitterness. A rush of acidity had attacked his stomach, at the unfairness of this man enjoying a family with his sister's replacement, when she was lying under the ground. Nevertheless, learning that he couldn't have other children, that he had some sources of concern and sadness, didn't please him. It should have, anything that made Battousai suffer was a delight to him. But he wasn't delighted. The next paragraph of the letter had been even more disturbing to him. Battousai was saying that he was happy, in spite of that. He was still thinking that it was unfair, but it didn't anger him madly like before. He could stand the idea. He almost, almost..didn't care. He didn't hate Battousai anymore, not enough to enjoy his torments, certainly not to inflict him some.

"Maybe, one day," she murmured.

He decided to set things straight. "Never. Never I'll forgive him," he stated forcefully, with all his soul, or what was left of the thing after the life he had led. "You want me to say it. Perfect. I don't hate him anymore. But Tomoe died for him. She gave his life to save him. She died BECAUSE of him, and I will never, ever forgive him for that."

Megumi paled. Aoshi's companions. They died because of her. It was the same.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "You're right. You can't be expected to do this."

She was turning away when he grabbed her wrist.

"Why? Why are you trying to understand me? You know what I'm capable of."

"You've changed."

"But what I DID isn't. I even told about this family I killed."

"Every man commits sins. It's not my place to judge them. Let go of me," she demanded, calmly.

"Don't you see me as a monster?"

It wasn't a cynical challenge, this time. Her eyes darted into his, and he saw briefly an endless sorrow in their depth as she answered.

"I know what a monster is. You aren't like this, Enishi."

He released his grasp on her, under the emotion she had just provoked. She set herself free and went away. This time, he didn't try to hold her back.

To be continued.

Author's notes:

Continuity/inaccuracy points: Being with Enishi at the cemetery, Megumi can assume that Oibore knows Enishi's past and the existence of "Battousai", as he knew that Enishi was pursued by the police (and in 2 months they had time to make the point clear). Unless I'm very wrong Megumi never went to Rakuninmura or met Oibore, though I think she surely heard about that strange old man from the people who did.

Next chapter: You think it's going smoothly? Enishi's past seems behind him, but what about Megumi's? And Enishi has forgotten part of the "family"! Yes, he's back, worse they're back, even worse..well, as the "introspection" first half of the fic is done, time for more action.

See you!

Kamorgana


	4. Animal Instinct

Disclaimer: RK isn't mine, it's property of Watsuki and co. Don't sue me. 

Warning: the R rate is taking its meaning here. Rated for violence and mature themes.

Children of the Revolution

Chapter 4: Animal Instinct

The thin man in a western suit took a puff of his cigar, giving an appreciative look to his surroundings. He was made for luxury. He was made for fine linen shirts, for velvet suits, for comfortable armchairs, silk draperies, hot fire in marble chimneys, juicy tender meat, excellent old whiskey. He was made for money, for so many bills that his wallet couldn't close, for coins tingling pleasantly in his pockets, for gold rings on his fingers and gold chains around his neck.

He had had all that. He had lost it. He had it again. And he was going to ensure that his strike of luck would change into a permanent, everlasting reality.

He gave a quick look at the card the other man had left. He had made him an excellent impression. He had immediately sensed that they shared the same values.

Kaneda Kazushi was going to find what he needed to satisfy the Triads. Not in the way they were expecting, of course. He would never be anything but his own master.

The man's lips twisted in a sadistic smile. He passed his tongue on it, anticipating, ending his gesture in a little clasping sound. He was himself going to get great satisfaction into it, too.

The months had passed. Winter had come.

Megumi had avoided carefully any too personal conversation with Enishi. He had sensed it, and never tried to force her on the issue, but she was feeling his insistent, soul-scanning blue eyes on her every once in a while. She was afraid that he asked, and even more that she answered. He had that way of making her feelings raw, uncontrollable, because she was seeing in him a part of what she was. She had lost her family during the Bakumatsu and so did he. Her father, the closest to her, had died in front of her, and he had witnessed the death of his beloved sister. This common experience, though none of them had uttered a word to acknowledge it, had drawn them too close for comfort. She didn't want him to know that she was a criminal, as much as he was. Not because she was ashamed of it, she was, of course, but she assumed her past sins. Because she was afraid of where it would lead them.

Megumi was preparing the special dishes for the New Year, that was a few days ahead, and she was slightly depressed.

Oibore had left a few weeks before, with medical supplies she had given him. He wanted to spend the worst of winter with his fellows of Rakuninmura. He wouldn't give up on them, he had explained. She had understood that it was his way to pay for his past mistakes. He could save some of the lost souls who had found their way to the village when they didn't belong to it, and lighten the days of the others. Like he had done for Ken-san, like he had done for Enishi, and like he had probably done for others, who weren't related to him.

Father and son had gone out together the night of his departure, and Enishi had come back with a sword. A watou. She wasn't surprised that he had added the practice of kata to the intensive physical training he was concentrated on since he could walk normally again.

Rolling the mochi into a white fabric, she sighed. This morning, she had spotted him in the private garden, bare-chested in spite of the chilly temperature, while he was executing his morning program, and had realized that he had almost recovered his complete physical abilities. The way the sword and his body were dancing in the air told her that he had retrieved his level of competence, too. He was so fast, each sure move exhaling pure, animal strength, and oddly, grace. She had never liked swords or kenjutsu, as she knew that the whole purpose of it was inflicting wounds and pain. As a doctor she couldn't see anything else in it. But looking at Enishi, she had thought for the first time that it was beautiful. He was at the top of his art again.

She had quickly torn her gaze away from him. Unlike most of the men she had met in her life, he was respectful towards her. He never had an inappropriate glance or gesture. That was why she could still share her house with him, now that he was well again and Oibore gone. It was surely self-centered to think that he could ever see her in "that" way, but her experience had told her that any man could hide an enemy. Enishi's attitude had reassured her, she trusted him, still there was a problem: herself. She had started to see him not with a physician's but a woman's eyes. Whenever she surprised him training, admiring his moves, his body, she felt that persisting tingling in her stomach. She did her best to ignore it, but she knew what it meant. She had only once felt this kind of physical attraction, and oddly this time it didn't sound wrong. He was her patient, though. She wasn't supposed to feel that towards him, she didn't now how to react, and she was getting uneasy when he was around.

The problem would be solved soon, anyway, she thought with a mix of relief and sadness.

He would be in perfect health in two weeks times. He would leave, then.

"Excuse-me, is the doctor here?" asked a melodious, feminine voice from inside the clinic.

"Immediately!" she exclaimed, abandoning her task, and her grim thoughts gladly.

Gathering her hair in her scarf, she entered the waiting room. A beautiful woman, wearing a silver blue kimono, bowed to her.

"My son needs treatment," she began. Her voice was really warm and pleasant.

Megumi noticed a four, five years-old boy behind her. He was holding a white fabric, covered in blood, on his right temple with his right hand.

"I'm the doctor. Please follow me, young boy."

"No."

"Tsuyoshi," warned the woman, not raising her tone but the boy complied. She added, apologetically: "I think I'd better come with you. He can be quite difficult and has that terrible habit when I'm not.."

"Ouch!" exclaimed Megumi.

"..around.. Tsuyoshi, no training for one week. I'm sorry, doctor."

That woman had the most charming smile that she had ever seen. She was beautiful, but even more charismatic. The child was absolutely cute, in spite of his aggressive attitude. She wondered how the husband looked like.

"Never mind. I treat lots of children and I can't count how many times I've been bitten already. How old is he?" she added, smiling, but keeping her gaze carefully on the little monster as she pulled away his arm with the fabric to get a look at his wound.

He was looking like his mother, and had the same, striking silver gray eyes, yet since she had announced the punishment, he had a scornful expression that was oddly familiar and terribly out of place at the same time.

"Three since last summer."

Beginning to clean the short but deep cut, Megumi mused: "I thought he was older.."

"He's tall. His father is."

The doctor grinned at the twinge of pride in the woman's voice. "My, my, you need a few stitches, sorry, little one."

To her bewilderment, interest lit the boy's face. "Really?"

She could have sworn that he was delighted. She grabbed the tray with the material, wondering if he was normal. She glanced at his mother, who was shaking her head with exasperation, and bemused resignation.

"He hears too many stories about Bushido from his older brothers. He's dreaming about wounds and scars proving his courage," she explained, correctly interpreting Megumi's puzzled look.

The woman had a poise, which denoted a traditional education. Probably she was from a samurai family, before the Bakumatsu. That would explain the Bushido thing. Her kimono was discreet, but the fabric was rich. Some families had gone through the revolution better than others. She thought fugitively of hers, of Enishi's.

"How did he get hurt?"

"He fell from a tree. He was bored as he's too young to take part to the kenjutsu competition in the dojo nearby, and decided to have a little fun of his own in the courtyard. I think his head met a little stone when he touched the ground. Luckily, at his age he can't climb very high."

Megumi was surprised as the boy was gritting his teeth, but wasn't crying or yelling, when she closed the little wound with a needle and thread.

"Boys are terrible. You said you have others?"

"A foster son, and a son," replied graciously Tsuyoshi's mother.

She finished her work and examined the kid, to make sure that nothing was broken. "You must be VERY busy, then."

"They are usually well behaved. Only that my husband is coming home today. He travels a lot, and they are very excited at the idea of seeing him. Even if he's there only for business, this time," she ended up in a regretful sigh.

"I'm done with you, little boy. You can say to your father that you've been very brave."

A satisfied..smirk, how could a three years-old smirk, spread on the little round face.

"You did fine," he granted, royally.

His mother lifted a brow, and he added, bowing. "Thank you very much."

"Please excuse my son's rudeness. How much do I owe you?"

"1000 yens, please."

The woman took her small velvet purse and gave her a bill, without questioning.

"Thank you, doctor," she repeated, bowing gracefully.

"Oh, I keep a record of my patients, in case I have to treat them again. You can come back to have the threads removed, in ten days, or go to your family doctor."

They were obviously not from the poor neighborhood.

"We'll be back here, and Tsuyoshi will be polite, next time." She sent a meaningful glance to the little boy.

" In that case, can I ask your son's full name?"

"Of course. Fujita Tsuyoshi."

Fujita Goro, aka Saitoh Hajime, wasn't in a very good mood. His investigation was going at a slow pace.

Corruption had raised its dirty head again. Saitoh had been investigating a member of the Diet, Tomita, whom he had identified as the origin of pressure, bribes and blackmail on the justice administration, in order to cancel the penalties of several imprisoned yakuza. Tomita had been very discreet, but the last one had been indeed a too powerful figure to be ignored.

For once, that moron Chou had been helpful, and worked quickly. He had discovered that Tomita was acting in the behalf of the Chinese Triads. Saitoh had uncovered the rest of the conspiracy. The Hung families wanted to buy the services of some criminals in exchange of their freedom, to implant their activities in Japan on a base strong enough to compete immediately with the Japanese mafia.

A dangerous fire lit Saitoh's eyes. As a captain of the Shinsengumi, he had fought to preserve Japan from any corrupted foreign influence. He had failed. As a Meiji policeman and a spy, however, he could continue his battle against any form of corruption, according to the rules of Aku-Soku- Zan. This case opposed him to the two worst forms of evil. He surely wouldn't fail now.

He had already executed Tomita. The satisfaction of accomplished duty had been tarnished by the confirmation that the man was a mere go-between. He was paid by the Triads for the liberation of the criminals, yet had no idea of why precisely these ones had to be, or where they had gone afterwards. He assumed they had been called to Shangai, which would explain their disappearance after their getting out of prison, but he wasn't sure. Tomita was never initiating the contacts, the money was deposed at his bank, he knew none of the Chinese and had no way of reaching them. The man had been a pitiful coward, and had told Saitoh everything he knew. Very few.

The only interesting and unusual thing was that Tomita had been asked for another role as a go-between, by the Triads. They wanted the name of the best private investigator, not too touchy about morals, and preferably from the Western area, as it was easier for contacts with Shangai; though the definitively useless moron didn't know why, either. He had given them, and then to Saitoh, needless to say, the address of Kaneda Kazushi.

In Aizu.

Walking through the familiar streets of his wife's native city, Saitoh cursed under his breath. He didn't like the fact that such a dangerous investigation led to the place where his family was living. He had hence decided not to send Chou for the research and to do it himself. Tokio had been following him until they had children. Since then, she had settled in her late parents' home, away from the major territories of his investigations, in the last years at least. She could protect herself, but they couldn't risk that her existence was discovered, less the children's. They would become too easy targets for his numerous enemies. They had agreed on that. And now, the damn woman wanted him to stay at their home while he was in mission, under the preposterous pretext that he had to be there for New Year. It was the most meaningful, traditional celebration in Japan, and according to her, families had to be gathered at that time. He had objected, stressing how dangerous and treacherous were the yakuza involved in the case. She had dismissed it. She had been his shadow for years and nobody had ever suspected her existence. She was expecting him at home tonight, she had been very clear. She was insensible, that was so unlike her, he wondered..

His stopped his moronic considerations on his domestic problems as he arrived in front of the western style building where Kaneda's office was situated. He felt a rush of anticipation at the idea of getting at last some useful information.

The office was empty. It smelled of cheap perfume, was the man wearing some, he wondered in utter disgust for such an effeminate behavior. It fitted with what he had gathered on him, but it could also be that he had entertained a woman there. Kaneda had a very bad reputation concerning women.

He snorted after he went through the files. Awfully disorganized, no logic, and needless to say, nothing interesting in them. How could the man have earned his reputation as an investigator, THAT was the mystery.

Moving to the desk, he inspected carefully the drawers, and eventually smiled in triumph as one was locked. It didn't take Saitoh much effort to force it. As he didn't have to be discreet, he allowed himself to release some of his previous frustration by using the Rooster's delicate opening method.

There were four files inside. The first was obviously used for blackmailing an official of Nagasaki. No corruption there, only dirty secrets on his sexual life. Saitoh let the folder fall to the floor, contemptuously. The other one had no name on, but how interesting, the code used to crypt it was similar to the one he had found at Tomita's place. Kaneda had just become a candidate to receive a Gatotsu in a near future. Saitoh had had the code translated, and was able to read that the Hung families wanted Kaneda to find a chemist or a doctor, before their "associate" did. The name wasn't revealed, shit. Saitoh got annoyed. It was the first entry, but many were following. He was obviously working for them full time now. And the winner was Kaneda Kazushi.

His eyes narrowed as he read the name typed on the other file. It was the name of the yakuza boss whose liberation had set Saitoh's attention on Tomita in the first place.

Takeda Kanryuu.

And he wanted Kaneda to find Takani Megumi. Her name was on the last file.

The amber eyes glittered. He lit a cigarette, savoring his triumph, and the logical beauty of the truth as the pieces of the puzzle found their places on the board.

He knew. Now he had to act.

His personal problems were solved, too. With Takeda Kanryuu involved directly, Tokio would be sensible. He had described the man to her as a snake, who had made an art out of stabbing his enemies in the back. He'd write her a message back at the office, as he had to go and lock Kaneda's files there before taking his course of action.

Replacing his handy mirror in the pocket of his impeccable beige suit, Kaneda Kazushi thought he was a happy man. He was incredibly handsome, smart, and soon he'd be truly rich. The amount of extra money that he could get from the careless fools who didn't protect their naughty secrets well enough had always been unsatisfying. A man of his sophistication needed a standard.

He couldn't believe that he had actually worked hard at the beginning of his career, for so little compensation. His absurd efforts hadn't been in vain, though, as they had established his solid reputation. He just had to solve a case every once in a while to maintain it.

Now, he was going to have more money than he could ever spend. Maybe. Working with the Chinese, even if they were inferior barbarians, was rewarding. And they had promised him a fabulous amount of money for that chemist. He didn't believe his good luck when Takeda had asked him to find Takani, revealing to him the name they were so eager to find, and saving him any work. The reward was so fabulous, indeed, that he had almost given the Triads her name and address immediately after. He had been wise not to. He had grabbed a few thousand yens more. Of course, if they discovered that, he would be in trouble. But he was too smart. He had always paid attention not to be noticed when he visited her, as he had this little idea in mind about her. And having made no actual research on her behalf, they could never guess that he already knew where she was.

Accepting to work for Kanryuu was more risky, and he had hesitated. Kanryuu was in touch with the Triads, and he could be in a delicate situation if they confronted their views. It was highly improbable, as the Hungs were trying to double cross their ally. He didn't think either that Kanryuu, who shared his view on Japanese superiority according to the nicknames he gave to the Chinese, had any intention to work FOR them, less to share his little secrets with them. The sum he had offered, though it didn't match the Chinese's reward, had convinced him to accept. He had taken a liking for the guy, too. Very fine man, very good taste. If he weren't feeling so similar to Kanryuu to know that the man could not be trusted more than himself, he would have shared with him his little clever strategy. He would appreciate the delicacy of it, thought Kaneda, regretfully.

He had left the address of Takani in an envelop for Kanryuu, at the hotel he was supposed to arrive at 6 that night. Of course, it was typed, so the Triads couldn't trace to him. The receptionist was to give the letter only in exchange of the money, and put it in a locker Kaneda had rented in disguise, under the name of another private detective.

At 7, Kaneda would give the information to the Triads' agent in person, and get the reward. He had left a little advance to Kanryuu, as he liked him. Then, whoever got her wasn't his business. He wished it were the yakuza, and the Chinese would surely pass their anger on the concurrent detective. If the barbarians got the woman first, he wouldn't risk at all that his little manipulation was discovered. It was a win/win situation.

And even more, he thought, as he had a strike of genius. Takani Megumi was a beautiful woman, and he had found a way to execute at last this little idea she inspired him. He was going to offer her a chance. If she accepted the conditions he had proposed the last time he visited her, he wouldn't give her name to the Triads. He had no doubt that she would accept. And he would seal the deal immediately.

As he had no intention to tell her about Kanryuu. She had frightened and offended him, hence she had to be punished. He wished he could see the terror on her face when Takeda appeared in front of her.

He giggled. And of course, he would inform the Triads, anyway. He would never let 5 million yens escaping him.

Arriving near her clinic, he saw her entering the house. She was there, and alone, as the clinic was closed after 5. The stupid worry that she may have moved, which had lingered in a corner of his mind, as he didn't keep an eye on her since that annoying visit, evaporated.

He sighed, happily. He was a genius. And he was going to have her.

Enishi finished the last kata. He didn't feel the least tired. He was in great shape. He seized the towel waiting for him on the bench, and wiped the sweat off his face.

That smelled good. Her perfume was on it. It was lingering everywhere in the house, in the air, in the clothes, in the sheets he was sleeping in. He shook his head. He was maybe in too much of a good shape. He had to control that, and it wasn't easy. He found more and more difficult not to think of her merely as a doctor, but as a woman. She was so beautiful, how could he ignore that totally?

He admired her. She was devoted to her patients. He felt close to her. She knew how it felt to loose everything, as he did. He was grateful to her. She had healed him, and she had helped him to find his way back to his father. He desired her, too.

It was gross. She was awkward in his presence. He wondered if she had noticed. Anyway, he had no right to. He was a murderer. Jinchuu was also between them.

He was thinking about her in this way because she was beautiful, and he didn't have a woman in years. It was a physical reaction. He definitely had to control it. His lust was the worst show of ingratitude.

Anyway, he'd have to leave soon. Once he would be completely healed, he had no reason to stay. He had nowhere to go, either.

Well, Oibore would be back, for a brief visit, in two weeks, and they'd see then. He had to get used to the fact that he wasn't absolutely alone anymore.

He was back in the house when he heard an indignant exclamation coming from the clinic. Her voice. He rushed, and froze as he recognized a male voice there too. That lowlife Kaneda. He secured his hold on the watou his father had bought and gave to him. I'll make a good use of it this time, as you asked, old man, he thought.

He intended to surprise the pig, entering slowly instead of storming in, and to take care of him very, very calmly, but the surprise was for him. He had begun to open the panel, when he at last understood what she was saying.

"How do you know?" asked Megumi, appalled. "He was.."

"Keeping it a secret?" finished Kaneda, his suave voice amused. "I'm simply the best investigator, ever. No secret can be hidden for me, not even the name of Takeda Kanryuu's infamous chemist. The only one to know the formula of the most addictive, cheapest to product, and oh, most deadly opium ever created."

Takeda Kanryuu, the yakuza boss, master of the drug trafficking in Japan, as he was the only one not to respect the code of honor of the Japanese families, which was forbidding them to participate into such activities. His opium was the best, even competing in mainland China with the Triads' one. The name of his chemist was the most wanted information of the underworld. It was worth millions of yens.

"What do you want?" she snapped.

Megumi. Megumi was a doctor. She prepared potions, and new medicines, like the one for Kobayashi-san.

"Offering you a chance, Takani-sensei," said Kaneda, smiling dirtily. "At the same conditions we discussed last time."

His informants hadn't been able to trace her from the fall of Aizu until the moment she appeared as Battousai's friend.

"No. You can call the police, I don't care, I'll never accept that," she replied, fiercely.

The link to the Oniwabanshu. They worked for Kanryuu. Battousai.

"I'm not talking about the police, Takani-sensei. I'm talking about the Chinese Triads. At this moment, I'm the only one to know who you are. They offer me a lot of money for your name, and unless I get some kind of compensation from you.."

Megumi was Kanryuu's chemist. The one who prepared the "kiss of death", as his opium was called in Shangai.

"Never I'll make opium again. Never again people will die because of me."

"They'll make you, Takani-sensei. Be sensible, and come to me."

" And NEVER," she screamed, taking her dagger, "Never I'll be used like this again!"

Kanryuu's reputation with women. I know what is a monster, Enishi, and you aren't like this.

"No!"

Megumi screamed once more as, with the speed of a rattlesnake, Kaneda had grabbed her wrist and twisted it until her weapon fell on the wooden floor in a shushed metallic sound.

"The offer isn't available anymore," he hissed, "But I'll have you all the same."

The lust in his eyes, the nauseating odor of his perfume and heavy breath on her face, his hand between her thighs, trying to nudge them apart, while the other was still contorting her arm, on the verge to break it, his awful giggles of perverted joy as he rubbed himself to her..she felt the contain of her stomach mounting to her throat, she was trying to fight against him and the memories assaulting her mind, and she was loosing, she was helpless again. The old, ludicrous hope arose in her mind to vanish the next second.

I want to die. Not that. Let me die instead.

She collapsed on the ground, trying to breath, an inhuman scream tearing her brains apart. Was it done already? Was she flying away again, estranged to her body, like all the times they had their way with her? Was she the one who screamed, and was she going to realize how it hurt only after it was over, like before?

She retrieved enough sensations to feel the wooden floor under her. She braced herself, yet there was no weight on her. She opened her eyes. She was still dressed, her casual kimono in disorder, but not enough for..Her wrist and arm hurt, the inner side of her thighs was throbbing in pain, yet...

She looked around. Her vision was blurred. She was crying. It cleared suddenly, and she couldn't believe the scene in front of her.

Kaneda was kneeled on the floor, his head, tossed back towards her, was deformed by bruises and wounds. His arms were pitifully drawing circles in the air, his whole body shaken by violent spasms. His eyes were bulging out of their sockets, his tongue was dangling out of his mouth, blood dripping around, and there were hands around his neck.

The hands were connected to muscular arms, banded under intense pressure, to broad shoulders..

The next thing that her eyes took in was a flashing blue gaze, so intense the pupil was invisible, overwhelmingly furious thunderbolt. Her ears got the gargling sound emitted by Kaneda, and a maddened voice hissing:

"Die, bastard, die.."

He did. She saw life leaving Kaneda Kazushi's eyes.

The hands released their grip. The body unbent, the head hitting the floor. The limbs were broken, too, she realized, he couldn't be in this position otherwise, kneeling and nape on the floor.

She lifted her eyes up the corpse, to see him spat on it, disdainfully.

"Pig."

Enishi.

Kaneda didn't rape her.

Enishi had beaten him.

Enishi had strangled him.

Enishi was looking at her now.

She was laying on the floor, her kimono opened high on her legs and low on one shoulder. She was crying. Her hair was tousled, and her face pale, so pale, her beautiful eyes blurred with tears, blurred with fear, yet awareness was gradually dawning on her.

He hadn't controlled any of his reactions, bar one. When he saw the pig seizing her, his blood had made the complete turn of his body in a quarter of second, and he remembered forming one and only coherent thought. He wanted to kill him with his bare hands.

And he had. He had let down his watou, which were not to be stained with such a dirty blood, rushed in and, seizing the man by the skin of his nape, had thrown him flying in the room, away from her. Away from Megumi.

Nobody would hurt Megumi.

He had then stopped thinking, unable to resist the fury driving him.

And Kaneda was dead.

Megumi was fine.

Megumi was safe.

Megumi was looking at him now.

He closed his eyes. Tomoe was there, as always. One tear was rolling down her cheek, from the corner of her black sad eyes, yet she was smiling to him.

He understood her so clearly that his chest was hurting. He had protected Megumi. But he had killed. He didn't regret it, oh, no, he wasn't glad either, though.

There was a price to pay.

And the price was there. He saw it when he opened his lids again, to see her standing up, gathering her kimono tightly around her, her whole body trembling.

"You..you.." she stuttered.

She had seen the monster in him.

To be continued.

Author's notes: (sorry they're particularly long)

- mature themes: I hope that the description of the assault wasn't distasteful, but attempted rape can never be glamorous. Sexual abuse is a part of Megumi's psyche, of her past problems, and the thing that made her sympathetic to me in the first place. The scene is not there for a shocking effect, I would never use such a serious subject for that purpose, but it's part of the story's dynamic and the plot.

Other serious problem: the racism of Kaneda and Kanryuu towards Chinese. Needless to say that it isn't my way of thinking, not the least! Nevertheless, from Meiji period on, Japanese, and those who tried to "western" themselves in particular, tended despise other Asian people (it mirrored the racism of Westerners towards Japanese and Asian people). Their contempt explains why two characters as cowards as Kanryu and Kaneda are trying to trick an organization as powerful as the Triads, so again it's not a gratuitous detail.

- Saitoh: I need help, I know. I always had the intention to have Saitoh there, and Tokio sneaked her way in, too. I'm beyond the curable obsessive state.

For people who aren't familiar with Saitoh's private real life, his wife, Takagi Tokio, was the daughter of an official from Aizu. So I'm an obsessive person relying (for once), on historical facts. They had 3 children IRL, who went by the name of Fujita: Tsutomu, Tsuyoshi, and Tatsuo (who isn't born yet in the timeline I made out here). The foster son Tokio talks about here is Mijima Eiji (from Shingetsu village, where Saitoh and Kenshin confronted Shishio for the first time), I mixed RK story with real facts for the Fujita family.

-Mafias: I had the plot with Kanryuu in mind from the beginning, Saitoh and Kaneda's role into it too, but Firuze mentioned the Triads to me, and that gave me the idea for a more elaborated plot. Thank you so much! The facts concerning the Triads I'll allude later in that story, including the correct name Hung, are the product of her research work, which she so kindly proposed and let me use. I owe you a lot!

- details: mochi is a rice paste, used in the fabrication of sweets in particular, but also an ingredient of traditional Japanese food. It's consumed plainly for New Year celebration and made at that time. There is also a special sort of food for the Shougatsu (New Year) that can be prepared in advance, allowing the housewives to have a day off the kitchen for the celebrations.

Next chapter: The plot I started here unfolds (not too predictably but clearly I hope). Danger, problems, fights, threats..Are Megumi and Enishi going to find their way out of this?

See you!

Kamorgana


	5. Empty

Disclaimer: RK is property of Watsuki, I borrow his characters for fun only. 

Children of the Revolution

Chapter 5: Empty

Enishi took a step towards her.

"No!" she exclaimed, panicked. Her lips were trembling, and she looked down.

Despair struck him as he saw the repulsion in her eyes when she finally faced him again. She was rubbing frantically her wrist, and she wasn't seeing him. Her eyes were passing through him as if he were transparent. As if he were a ghost. As if he existed no more for her.

"Clean," she uttered, and she escaped, literally, the room.

He heard the door of the bathroom slamming a few seconds later.

He clenched his jaw. He had frightened her as much as Kaneda. She had just witnessed two men turning into beasts, one of out lust, one out of anger. His gaze dropped on his watou, uselessly lying on the floor. Few minutes ago, he was stronger than he had ever been. He had rediscovered a peace of mind that he had never experienced since childhood. He was living in the present, not in the past, he was even thinking of a future. He had planned nothing for after the completion of Jinchuu, these last weeks only he had experienced the feeling of wanting to live his life for himself, not for Tomoe. He had been ready to move forward. Now he was barely able to move at all, his guilt so strong that it was weighting on his body, paralyzing him.

He meant well, but he had just hurt her more. And himself, more than he could have imagined. She had considered him like a human being, and not out of pity and guilt, like Battousai, not torn between loyalty and compassion, like Kamiya Kaoru. She wasn't afraid of him like everybody was, either. She had seen him as a brother, as a son, as a man who had feelings, she had cared enough to push him to reconcile with his father.

He had thanked her by proving her wrong. He couldn't regret what he had done, even now that he was staring at Kaneda's lifeless body. She would be safe from this man. He had had no intention to leave without ensuring it, anyway. But he never had wanted her to witness it, less to see him changing into an animal.

He knew very well that it was impossible to go back through time. There was nothing that he could do to erase the memory of what she just saw. She had been so shattered, although she was familiar with death as she was a doctor, and with violence, too, because of..

Kanryuu. The Triads. He realized that his own emotions had relegated momentarily what he had learnt before Kaneda attacked her to a corner of his mind.

Megumi's past.

Saitoh put down the short report of the Nagasaki port surveillance officer, and crushed his cigarette in the ashtray.

"And you waited that long to inform me?"

Sweat pearled on the young policeman's chubby face. "But.it arrived in the beginning of the afternoon..you were nowhere to be found.."

"Moron."

"Yes, sir," answered the boy, shrinking literally under the contemptuous stare.

"Well, if they show as much sense of initiative as you do, no hurt done," added his terrifying, temporary superior, deadpan. "Send immediately a message to forbid any action without my consent. They have to watch them closely and avoid any departure of the boat, though. Is the Nagasaki officer who followed the passengers here still around?"

"No, sir. He gave us the address of the house they settled in, and went back. He said ..err..that he had some work back there too, and.."

To the surprise of the young policeman, who was expecting a furious reaction, what could be described as an approving, yet very, very frightening smirk quirked lieutenant Fujita's lips.

"You'll give me his name. I'm tired of being surrounded by idiots and I could use a subordinate with a sense of priorities. I guess you didn't send anybody to that place?"

"No, sir, we were waiting for your orders."

"Keep it this way. I'm going to take care of it by myself. You're dismissed."

"Yes, sir."

The moron gone, Saitoh lit another stick, glancing at the report. Entry of a boat coming from Shangai, everything seemed legal yet it belonged to a society owned by the Hungs. And 17 of their passengers had gone to Aizu. Saitoh could guess that it was to meet Kaneda and get the chemists' name.

The Triads had arrived. He had to go, now.

A shack. Li Tao was furious. He had asked for a discreet place, and all that Takeuchi had found for him was a shack. Japanese thugs had obviously no idea that Shangai mafia bosses were living in such a luxury that they couldn't even imagine it in their wildest dreams. It wasn't his first trip to Japan, not the first time that he noticed the prejudices Japanese held against Chinese, and this began to seriously offend him.

He hid carefully his feelings, swallowing his growing annoyance at the sight of the old wooden walls covered with dust and spider webs, and at the disturbing smell of rotten humidity, but behind his mask of distant politeness, he had already decided to get rid of his "employee".

It would be the reparation of an offense as much as a punishment for failing to his mission and presenting only vague apologies instead of begging for forgiveness. Takeuchi was supposed to keep an eye on Takeda Kanryuu, even more since he had left his hidden place near Tokyo for Aizu. And the stupid man had lost him just after his arrival. The only thing that had made Li Tao stop his lieutenant, Wong Chen, to execute him on the spot, was that the Japanese had at least found the real place where Takeda had settled in.

Moreover, he had a message from Kaneda, confirming their appointment in his office, and he still needed Takeuchi to lead two of his men to Kanryuu's new living arrangements, while he would go himself to the detective's office and get the name he was looking for.

Li Tao forgot the putrid odor and miserable environment, as his thoughts wandered towards the pleasant perspectives of his future.

When Megumi came out of the bathroom, Enishi was waiting for her, sitting on the tatami. He ignored the sharp, swift stinging pain provoked by her reaction to him. She had paled and was now glancing at her lap.

"We have to talk," he said, managing to stay unemotional.

"I guess we have to, yes," she whispered, and settled in front of him, kneeling formally, her hands grasping tightly the fabric of her yukata.

"I'll be gone. I want you to know that I will take care of Kaneda. Considering the situation, it will be unwise to attract the attention of the police. I will visit his office, too, in case he keeps..kept, any information on your past."

She nodded, the hold of her fingers tightening a little more, but still she avoided looking at his face. She couldn't bring herself to, more exactly, he corrected, his mouth filling with a bitter taste.

"I want to thank you. For everything you did. I'm sorry," he added, somberly. "I have to leave now."

He wanted to see her eyes a last time, but he couldn't demand that from her. He wasn't sure he could endure the same disgusted look she had given him earlier, anyway. He deserved it. It was the first time since the loss of his sister that he thanked someone. And the first time that he apologized, ever. It wouldn't be enough, neither was merely cleaning the mess he had done.

Of course he wouldn't be just doing that. He had found a way to thank her. He would go back to China. He would retrieve his place in the mafia, his own organization was down but he was certain that whatever was the branch of the family looking for her, they would be gladly welcoming the idea of using his capacities. He would make sure that they never get to her. He would destroy them, too. It wouldn't be another Jinchuu. He wanted to do the right thing, now, even if he had to become a criminal again in order to stop other criminals. It was a good way to atone for his past crimes.

She had given him a goal. She had shown him a way. He ached at the thought that he would never see her again, though.

Megumi had a hard time preventing her tears from falling. He knew now, he had heard. He despised her. And she had deceived him. The realization she saw in his eyes earlier, his sorrow, had been tangible.

Enishi was distrustful, and not forgiving, that was the least that could be said. She had gained his trust, as a doctor, at least. She had tricked him into believing that she was an innocent, when she was nothing more than a murderer. A coward murderer. Enishi had killed, too, innocent people, but he had assumed the act, he had watched them die. She had just prepared some powder, yet that mere gesture, which consequences her mind could easily dismiss, condemned faceless people to death. She wanted to explain him, not why she worked for Kanryuu, she wouldn't try to make excuses for the unforgivable, but why she didn't tell him. She nevertheless knew that he wouldn't listen anyway. She had lost his trust; she had lost his respect.

He must have thought that she was a coward even more since she had fled the clinic. She wanted to thank him, but when her eyes had dropped on the marks Kaneda had made on her wrists, she had felt dirty, so dirty that she had needed to clean. The memories had come to her again, or more exactly she had been transported in the past, in Kanryuu's mansion. Her hallucinations had gone away only after she immersed completely in the hot, purifying water of the tub.

The worst was that Enishi wasn't angry. He was disappointed in her, but he didn't hate her. He was even ready to cover her trace so she'd escape the police. And he had thanked her, when to save her life, he had had to kill. He had made a scary vision, but she hadn't been afraid, because the killing intent she had felt in him had been different from mere bloodlust. She understood too well what had happened in his head. The way he had strangled Kaneda had struck her, afterwards, it was so similar to the way he had attacked Wu on the island. The attack surely triggered bad memories, memories of Tomoe dying. It was the only way to explain this furor in him, furor that didn't scare her, because she had wished so many times she were strong enough to defend herself like this, to avenge what these men did to her, that she had identified herself with Enishi, his mad anger had been hers, too. She had been too shocked to do anything, or to realize at that moment, yet a part of her had wanted Kaneda's death.

So she hadn't stopped him. Unlike on the island during Jinchuu, nobody prevented him to commit a murder. Enishi would certainly never make a non- killing vow, like Ken-san, but he had killed again because of her. Still he had thanked her. Still he wanted to assure her freedom.

But he would never look at her again in the same way. He was so somber when he had said he was sorry, pushed by gratefulness, surely. He didn't have to thank her. He had no idea of what he had done for her. She could never endure another physical abuse. She couldn't have lived with this one.

He had to know that. He would leave her; she had no right to demand that he listened to her explanations, but he had to be freed of feeling indebted to her, even if it meant admitting her shame to him.

"Don't thank me," she managed to whisper, through the lump constricting her throat. "What you saved me from, today.. It wasn't the first time it happened to me."

"You don't.."

"Please! There's something you have to know," she interrupted, feeling her voice near to break. "Each time, I hoped that somebody would come, each time in vain. Not one time somebody spared me this humiliation, this pain, not once. But you did. You heard what I am, and you still came to my help. So you don't have to be grateful. What you did for me today is more than I could ever do for you."

She paused, and added, in a barely audible murmur: "You see, Enishi, you aren't a monster. Kanryuu was. And so was I."

She raised her eyes to him, and instead of the disgust that he was expecting, he read sadness, gratefulness, and..affection. He stared at her in disbelief.

"You.a monster? "

It was her turn to look puzzled.

He understood, suddenly. An incredible relief seized him, almost too much for him to bear. She still saw the human being in him. She was even thankful, not repulsed. He had just misunderstood her reactions. She just had the same fear as he had, the fear to be exposed completely in front of him, and that he'd reject her because of her past. Just like he had felt when he had been exposed in front of her, after she saw the violence in him. The fear of not being accepted for what they were.

He knew now that both their fears were needless. She had to know, too.

"You just survived," he asserted, calmly but forcefully.

And nobody understood that better than he did. He had assumed that he felt close to her because they had both lost their families. It was more than that. She accepted him, completely, because they were both survivors, and that they had a price to pay for that. They had both lost a part of their humanity, during the Bakumatsu. The only difference was that he had the opportunity of not being used, of fighting back. As a woman, she had had no choice, having nobody to protect her, and no matter what she had done, in his eyes she was still a victim. And he was going to ensure that she would never be one, again.

Because he loved her.

He didn't know how it happened, or when, but he was sure of it. All his feelings, the closeness, the trust, the understanding, the need to protect, all that made sense to him all of a sudden. He reached for a strand of her beautiful long black hair, rolling it between his fingers, realizing how he had wanted to do that. She smiled at him, surprised relief in her eyes. Jinchuu was behind them. Their pasts weren't an obstacle between them anymore.

Not absolutely, he recalled the next second. Kaneda's body was still in her clinic. He had to get rid of the corpse, and to make sure that he didn't keep any document or proof leading to her in his office. And the Triads were still after her.

He still had to protect her from them. He still had to fight them. But he would change his plans. He wasn't going to leave her forever. He wasn't Battousai, to give up on the woman he loved, even full of good intentions, to leave her alone and unprotected. He'd find a way. Tomoe's face, nodding encouragingly, approvingly at him, appeared briefly in his mind.

The cinnamon eyes took an inquiring expression, and the same trust as Tomoe's lingering in their depths achieved to forge his determination.

He stood up, smiling confidently. "I'm going for a walk, I have one or two things to do. You should rest, now. I may be late, but I'll be back tonight. We'll talk again, then."

She just nodded. His smiled turned into an indulgent smirk. She was still too puzzled to fully realize, leaving him totally in charge. He liked this. He had nevertheless the certainty that it wouldn't last. She would retrieve soon her willful temper. He liked that too. It was contradictory, but well, it was probably natural when one fell in love with a contradiction.

The Chinese man's fine eyebrows lifted in disgust as, re-sheathing his sword, he gave a last glance to the body he had just mutilated. Incompetence was an unforgivable fault. He looked around the office, sighing with exasperation at the mess of files on the floor and the destroyed desk drawer. He clasped his fingers, and immediately two of his men seized what was left of Takeuchi. They would take care to get rid of it; he didn't have to precise it. The Triads never left any evidences.

Four other of his followers were waiting for his orders. He breathed deeply. This operation had been ill-prepared, and he would make a note to the boss when he was back to Shangai. The responsible of this strategy had to be punished. Instead of using one Japanese yakuza to look after Kanryuu, they should have had him followed by a real member of their organization.

When they had arrived at Kaneda's office, to realize that he wasn't there for their appointment, and that the place had been searched, Li had been enraged to see his plan going wrong. Takeuchi had joined just on time for him to release his anger. The quick nod of the guard accompanying him, assuring Li that he had actually shown them to the place, had signed the death sentence of the useless bastard.

Discarding the mere existence of the man along with his frustrations in a satisfied sigh, his practical mind started to work again, leading him to wonder briefly if Kanryuu had anything to do with Kaneda's disappearance. He'd investigate the possibility later. There was more urgent for now.

"Wong, go to our "place" and gather the others. Find us at our dear associate's house, we'll be waiting for you there."

"Yes, Master Li. If.."

"If?"

The man bowed. "Forgive my impudence, master Li, but is it sure that the miserable, incompetent Japanese didn't make another mistake? Shouldn't I ask one or two of us to stay at the hotel, in case Takeda finally shows up there again?"

"Your impudence being caused by your care for our success, Wong, I won't take any offense on it. Takeda has surely found the chemist by now; I don't see any other explanation for his sudden disappearance. He won't take the risk to be seen in a frequented area. Oh, I charge you to find and punish the detective who worked against us, and what happened to Kaneda, too, once we cleared the relations with our Japanese associate."

"Yes, Master Li. My view was the reflection of my poor intelligence. Your orders will be scrupulously and swiftly obeyed, as you can righteously expect."

Li Tao nodded absently, dismissing him with a little wave of his long, delicate fingers. His bosses wanted Kanryuu's opium so much that they were ready to treat with him to get it. Yet they would prefer not having to share the benefits. He had been charged of the contact role in their offensive towards Japan, but he knew that if he found the chemist, he would be promoted, and the territory would be his.

He had been waiting for an opportunity like this forever. No shooting star rising in the organization at the speed of light would stand in his way to power this time.

Saitoh was one block away from Takani Megumi's clinic, in the deserted streets of crepuscule. He noticed distractedly a man carrying another one on his back, coming from the opposite direction. Two drunkards, probably, he thought as he heard the whining, thick murmur of the walking one.

He was about to dismiss the view, with a snort of contempt, when something attracted his attention. The drunkard who had obviously passed out was wearing a coat, a hood covering his head. And he realized that the other one was not progressing in the middle of the street, but cautiously, near the walls, although he seemed drunk enough to have his balance affected. Fishy. Pretending not to pay attention, Saitoh kept on walking, and knew his instinct was right when the man suddenly turned into a little alley, just before they crossed path. The movement had been swift, sure. They were no more drunk than himself. Following his instinct, he immediately followed, drawing his sword, and managed to grab the covered figure.

"Police! Freeze!" he ordered.

Saitoh frowned as the man didn't resist when he pulled him back. He was dead, he realized. The next moment the body fell on the ground, leaving Saitoh with the coat in one hand. Tossing it away, he took a fighting stance immediately to look at his opponent. The rapid intake he had on the corpse's face hadn't be of any help to identify it, but the relents of cheap perfume lingering on the coat, hitting his sensitive nostrils along with the smell of death, had. It was Kaneda Kazushi.

Saitoh was not easily taken aback, yet the discovery of the identity of the other man actually surprised him. He recognized the weapon first, a watou. His eyes narrowed as they met the electric blue gaze. The bastard's hair was black and he wasn't wearing his trademark sunglasses, but it was indeed Yukishiro Enishi. He contained a curse. Another element, that he hadn't, and couldn't have expected, finished to complete the puzzle. He knew he would have had to find whom the Triads used for their contacts, and the answer was standing in front of him. He was surely the leader of that little delegation arrived in Nagasaki.

Yukishiro was obviously as surprised as him, which gave him time to overcome his moment of puzzlement.

"Saitoh Hajime.."he let out.

"I'm honored that you remember me. Long time, no see, Yukishiro," smirked the Mibu's wolf.

Shit. No luck. Enishi wondered briefly what to do. He was the last person he had expected to fall upon. He thought of the man's reputation. That let him no choice. He secured his hold on his sword, under the appreciative glance of his enemy.

"Once a criminal, always a criminal, I'm not surprised. I should have put more efforts into looking for you, though. Not that I ever give up, but I had more urgent tasks to accomplish. Or so I thought, my mistake on both levels. Nothing that I can't correct now," he finished, taking his Gatotsu stance.

Megumi realized that she had stayed half an hour staring at the door after Enishi left. She didn't know what he wanted to talk about, but she knew him and his confidence had given her the certainty that..

She knew him. How weird was that. Thinking about it, it wasn't. They had spent months together, in her house, she had followed his recovery, shared his efforts, witnessed him bonding with is father. Discovered that they had so much in common. Discovered the man he really was.

And she fell in love with that man.

She had realized it today. It was no gratefulness for saving her. She knew it wasn't because she had felt that for Ken-san. It was not only physical attraction either, because she had been drawn to Sanosuke in that way. It had made her so uncomfortable, that she was always provoking him. She had never felt for anybody what she felt for Enishi.

The realization had erased the fear of Kaneda's attack, and she had the impression of having a nice dream after she had a nightmare. The late events left her nearby reality, but not completely into it. She was still shocked, still amazed.

One thing only she was fully aware of. She wasn't lonely anymore. He had said he'd be back. She was sure he would.

And instead of stupidly taking root into the floor, she should prepare dinner. He would be starving when he came home. Her stomach protested. All right, she was already, she thought, beginning to gather the dishes.

The door communicating with the clinic opened. Was he already back? He couldn't be so early..

"Megumi-san. Long time, no see."

She dropped the plates she was holding on the floor, and they broke into millions of pieces, like she was inside.

"No.." she breathed, her body trembling uncontrollably. There it was again, the ghosts, the fear.

Takeda Kanryuu was standing in her house, a gun pointed to her.

The swords clung violently under the combined forces of the two fighters. They both jumped several feet back afterwards.

Enishi wished that he could have more recent experience of fighting before facing such an adversary. The Miburo's reputation was certainly not usurped. A few years back, he would have enjoyed to be confronting a swordsman of this quality. In the current situation, he would rather have a slightly easier one to start with. This duel wouldn't be won easily.

Saitoh was surprised at Yukishiro's shape. Considering the state in which he had last seen him, he was surely not expecting that. He had been so broken physically and mentally, that he couldn't be a threat anymore. In fact, Himura Kenshin had been so sure that Yukishiro would redeem the way he had, that Saitoh's imagination had made him picture the man with long white hair in a ponytail, a pink gi, and doing the laundry for a Tanuki woman. The bemusing image had allowed him to endure Himura's lecture on his beliefs. Well, Saitoh wasn't bemused now. This duel wouldn't be won easily.

"Tell me, is that the so-called honor of the Triads? Getting rid of their associates after they have fulfilled their part of the contract? Or are you in charge of the dirty work because of your pitiful failure?"

Enishi recognized Saitoh's method as it was consigned on his file: a first provocation, a first harmless engagement to evaluate his opponent's strength, followed by a combination of new destabilization attempts and deadly Gatotsu. Yet, the cop was wrong on several aspects. Enishi wasn't working for the Hungs anymore, so his teasing had no effect. The mention of the Chinese just proved him that his enemy was after Megumi, like Enishi had assumed, reinforcing only his determination to fight. And finally, he was himself a master of provocation.

"Why don't you give me the answer? Aren't you doing the Meiji government's dirty work after YOUR blatant failure?"

He attacked without waiting for a response, but Saitoh counterstriked with a Gatotsu Ni-shiki. That had been close, he thought as they drew back.

"Not bad, for a looser. I understand why they were eager to have you as their lapdog," grinned Enishi. "I finally wonder if you're not doing them a favor."

"Well, as you did me the favor of not going until Takani's place to find her already gone, I'll keep you alive until you tell me where she is."

"How compassionate."

"While we're into compassion, she'd better be in a good shape. I wouldn't be too demanding usually, I don't really care about ex-drug traffickers' well-being, just that they aren't forced again into business," smirked Saitoh, "BUT I don't want Battousai, your dear brother in law, to interfere into my business again because his friend was hurt."

His smirk deepened at the traitor's stunned face. Yukishiro had still the same weakness: the name of Battousai was enough to destroy completely his concentration. Their last assault had led the cop to think that the more likely result he could expect was a tie, but it seemed that this fight wouldn't be that much of a problem after all.

He knew for Megumi, he had known all along. He didn't come to arrest her. He had used the word "forced". This fight was pointless, yet there was no way out of it. He couldn't convince Saitoh that he wasn't working for the Triads now, when he hadn't denied it earlier. Saitoh was after them, only, not her, and wanted her in good shape. Enishi opened his mouth, closed it. Saitoh would arrest her for helping him without hesitation. Helping a traitor was punished with death penalty. Shit. He knew that the best he could hope, especially because of his lack of practice, was a tie. Saitoh had seemed surprised to see him, it meant that he didn't know how Enishi had escaped Kyoto. That more precisely meant that he and Oibore had been wrong to assume that the police was after them there. If he had had a report signaling Enishi's presence, there was no way that the Miburo didn't make the link with the Triads he was investigating. Not dwelling on the ironic absurdity of the situation, he reassured himself with the certainty that Saitoh thus ignored Megumi's relation to him. Unfortunately, that was for now only. He would make the connections, one day or another. He would go after Megumi, and he would execute her. The optimistic version was that she would be a fugitive for the rest of her life. And it would be his fault. He couldn't let that happen. He had to deter the suspicions, and for that he needed to gain time.

Saitoh took his attacking position again.

Enishi searched frantically for a solution. A plan formed in his mind. Words wouldn't convince the Mibu's Wolf, only acts. There was a risk, though. Saitoh said that he wanted information on the Triads, on Megumi that he thought being missing. The risk was hence minimal on the probability level. It was still great in consequences. But Megumi's life was at stake.

"If you don't attack, I will," warned Saitoh.

Enishi had the satisfaction to see his ironic mask crumble as he let the watou drop to his feet, and extended his hands, signifying that he accepted to be arrested. Now was the time to see if he had calculated the risk well. Saitoh could still decide to kill him.

"Oh, yes, Megumi-san."

Waves of repulsion shattered her as he gave her that awful smile. He walked to her. She wanted to escape but was unable to move. Maybe it was a nightmare. Maybe she had fallen asleep and was going to wake up now.

Her foolish thoughts vanished as soon as he took her chin in his moist, sweaty hands. It was real.

"I'm glad to see that you didn't forget me. I was worried you did..Though what we have shared is unforgettable, isn't it?"

He placed the gun on her stomach. "Isn't it?" he repeated, his voice turning hard and cold.

She nodded slowly, in a trance. She was unable to talk, either.

"I thought a lot about you, Megumi-san, a lot. And not all the time, I admit it regretfully, in such a pleasant way," he went on, having retrieved his suave intonations, "nevertheless, in my great generosity, I decided to forgive you your..little misjudgment."

The cruel light in his eyes appeared finally, his tongue passing on his lips, like a lizard's. She knew it was the sign of his sadistic anticipation, that he had each time he was preparing a particularly refined torture, and her knees began to buckle.

"We're going to go back in time, you see. Like nothing happened. Our relation turned sour after you came back to my manor. So let's set up the return a little earlier, when I made you my proposition."

"I'll never, ever, work for you again," she stated calmly, holding her breath as he caressed her cheek with the gun.

"Oh, yes, you will. Takeda Kanryuu always gets what he wants. And what he wants now is."

Megumi felt her whole body react in disgust as he bent and licked her neck. The nausea seizing her was so violent that it sent her on the verge of fainting.

He released her the next second, pushing her to the floor, sighing of satisfaction. He threw a piece of paper to her, his features hardening.

"Be there in one hour. Don't even think of tricking me. If you think of killing yourself to escape your fate, give up that ludicrous idea. If you were not to show, whatever the reason, I'll have my revenge."

He took a gracious expression and a pleasant tone again, to pronounce the words that sent her into the depths of despair. "I heard that Himura Battousai has a baby-son? How wonderful. Children are so sweet, so innocent..so vulnerable."

He paused meaningfully. "See you in one hour."

She heard him laugh as soon as he was out of her house. She was cold to the bones, shuddering, her hands and feet growing insensitive, her lungs fighting for air as if she was drowning in cold water.

She saw a little light at the surface. She had thought she was lost under Kaneda's assault, and Enishi had come to save her. He could again. He would again.

One hour was too short for Enishi to be back in time. The realization that she had hoped in vain again finished to shatter her, sending her deeper in the dark waters, in the abyss.

She was wiped off any emotion, any will, she was empty, soulless. A disincarnated voice was filling the void, compelling, imperative. You have no choice. You have no choice.

Her past would never be behind her.

She had died inside. Considering what was waiting for her, it was better, said mockingly the voice in her head.

She heard the main door opening. Kanryuu again, probably he had just played with her and would demand that she went with him now.

She turned to it, and gasped. The person standing on the threshold was certainly the last one that she expected to see.

To be continued.

Author's notes:

This chapter and the next one were one initially. It wasn't enough to develop the story in a satisfying way, hence the division. If you find here any OOCness or inconsistencies, it should be explained in the next one. I did my best, and LOTS of thanks to Firuze for bearing with my last-minute worries about the logic of the plot! Thank you also for your helpful hints and corrections.

I hope that I let enough doubts before, about Enishi being or not followed by the police in Kyoto. I thought that Saitoh being surprised to see him was enough of a hint, but it was better that I stated it clearly. Enishi was in a very bad shape there, and Oibore overly worried about him, so that explains their misunderstanding. Oibore escaped the police, as I said in chapter 3, and it was due to the fact that they weren't after him in the first place. It's really ironical that Enishi met Megumi out of a mistake..It's destiny (-)

I hope that Megumi doesn't look too much like the typical romance novel heroine, always threatened with sexual abuse. Kanryuu's attitude is strongly hinted in the manga, and Kaneda being similar to him on many points, it was the only way things could go. The double shock also explains her attitude. Megumi being a strong woman, she can't be taken down that easily.

Before the review's response, I'd like to express my gratefulness to Firuze and Oryo for their trust in this story.

Next chapter: I said it..last chapter!

See You!

Kamorgana


	6. This is the day

Disclaimer:RK isn't mine. I'm borrowing the characters for fun. Don't sue me! 

Children of the Revolution

Chapter 6: This is the day

Kanryuu was trying not to show his anger. He had planned everything, and this was unexpected. He had Megumi at his mercy. He had hesitated to take her with him immediately, but he wanted her to fully realize and to fear. She had been the cause of his fall; hence she had to pay in every way. He had intended to come back to the isolated and comfortable house he had rented discreetly, after canceling the reservation he had glaringly made in the downtown hotel, and to enjoy the delightful anticipation of what he would do to her, which was even more pleasant knowing that she was suffering already. Even on the way back he had begun to make plans, deciding that he would make her say that she liked when he took her. The bitch always had this haughty attitude, and only when he was forcing her to that, she let him see how completely he could break her. It had become something he kept for special occasions, and indeed tonight was one.

Thus his disappointed furor when he had found Li Tao and some of his men waiting for him in his living room. He had hidden his emotions carefully. They must have had somebody spying on him, which was the only way they could have gotten this address. He had been wise to take extra precaution, going to Megumi's clinic, even though he had suspected nothing of the sort. He was sensing a slight contrariety behind the Chinese's impassible attitude, assuring him that his secret was safe. He could hence be patient.

They were both playing the game, Li Tao pretending that his visit was of pure civility, to enquire about his progresses, Kanryuu pretending that he was honored, and sorry that he had no news about his chemist. They were sharing his cognac, discussing of the terms of their association. Kanryuu wasn't happy either about wasting his precious beverage on the monkey. The man might seem sophisticated, but these people were barbarians, and ridiculous when, as Li Tao, they imitated the manners of the Westerners. Only Japanese were civilized enough to adopt them.

He gave a rapid glance to the big clock. Megumi should be there in five minutes. Nothing to worry about, his guests would never suspect her, as he had always implied that his chemist was a man. He would present her as his mistress, and send her waiting in his room. If the trick had worked with Shinomori, it would work with this stupid inferior. Even if they ended up making a research on her and realized who she was, he would have hidden her already, out of their reach. Nothing to worry about. Be patient, he repeated to himself.

The entrance gong rang.

Li Tao stood up, interested. "I didn't know you were waiting for company."

"My mistress."he explained, smiling in false confusion. "We haven't seen each other in years, she settled here while I wasn't free of my movements. We agreed to meet finally tonight..I'm going to lead her to our room, the time that we finish our business talk."

"This can wait until you have good news for us, Takeda-san. I'm leaving," answered politely the other, but Kanryuu knew that he didn't believe him. He wanted to see the visitor.

"As you wish, Li-san." Like you could figure it out, stupid.

Four of the Chinese's men were with him in the living room, following him like shadows, and while they were going down the way to the main door, the others, forming a hay in the corridor, were joining the cortege. Kanryuu knew that their placement meant to assure a secure exit to their boss. There were also two others near the gate.

Opening the panel, he was expecting to be face to face with Megumi, and he realized with exasperation that she was standing in the middle of the alley.

"You leave your concubine walking alone at night?" asked Li Tao, slightly scornful. "She doesn't seem happy to see you, either."

From their observation post, they saw the group getting out of the house. Saitoh sensed Yukishiro tensing at the apparition of the Chinese man.

"Acquaintance?"

"The contact you're looking for, very likely. She shouldn't be there, he's too dangerous."

The cop contained an exasperated sigh. He wasn't used to the idea of his temporary alliance with Yukishiro, even less to the fact that he was linked to Takani. The man was unstable and Saitoh suspected that his obvious care for the doctor made him that less reliable during the upcoming fight. Not that he intended to count on him anyway, but better to be aware of a potential problem.

All had happened after he had arrested and brought a suspiciously obedient Yukishiro to the police station. When, tired of his prisoner's muteness, and considering to use other than verbal arguments to get the information he wanted, he had left the interrogation room, Tokio was waiting for him outside, with stunning news. He had begun to suspect the truth then. If Yukishiro was working for the Triads, and was so near her place with Kaneda's body, there was no way that she had been still there, alone, when Kanryuu arrived. The despair in Takani's eyes after he mentioned Yukishiro's arrest to her had confirmed the first part of his logical deductions. The ex-mafia boss's puzzlement to the news of Kanryuu's involvement had verified the second. Learning about Takeda's threats had at last made him talkative, and they had finally agreed on a course of action. Saitoh would let Yukishiro come with him to Takeda's refuge, in exchange of what he would help the policeman to identify the Triads' group and to get information from them.

Takani had the address on a paper, Tokio had told her husband. Yet, the doctor had insisted to come with them. The heated discussion between the two morons had then finished to inform Saitoh on the state of their relationship. He had understood, at her mention of a machine gun, that she feared another Oniwabanshu type disaster, and also for the life of Himura's family. The bastard could have the offensive against them prepared already. Saitoh didn't care, of course, yet Kanryuu being second in his preoccupations, getting him quickly and easily was allowing him to go after the Triads sooner. He had hence accepted her idea.

They had noticed immediately the origin of the sentinels near the gate. Saitoh had been delighted. One stone, two birds. Yukishiro had annoyingly gotten more reluctant to let Takani go and attract them out of the house, yet he couldn't make a scene, and neither she nor Saitoh had let him the choice.

"Stop whining and let's go," he eventually ordered in a breath.

Kanryuu walked to Megumi, promising himself to punish her for her defiant attitude, thinking about a plausible answer. The Chinese weren't leaving his side.

"She is only surprised at your presence.."he began, cutting off when the two guards that his associate had placed near the front gate cried out.

He saw their bodies fall to the floor in a gush of blood, leaving place to two men: a tall, lanky man in a cop uniform, utterly noncommittal and aloof, and another one, smaller but more muscular, a dangerous, almost crazy light in his blue eyes. Their swords dripping with blood, they advanced towards their group.

"Run faster!", yelled the younger to Megumi, making Kanryuu realize that she had started to escape, and was already reaching them.

"Yukishiro Enishi!" hissed Li Tao, bewildered and infuriated.

He couldn't believe it, yet it made sense. The bastard was presumed dead, but Li should have known that bad weed was hard to annihilate. Yukishiro was probably the one who had searched Kaneda's office, which, considering the situation, meant that first, Kaneda was dead, second, that woman was the person they were looking for, and third, he had decided to find his way back to the organization by allying secretly with the Japanese cops. This last point gave also a pretext to Li Tao for killing him without breaking any oath. He would have anyway. Yukishiro Enishi wouldn't be an obstacle to his ambitions again.

Li Tao's men had already thrown themselves at their intruders, with high- pitched screams, and Takeda relaxed. They had no chance against 14 men. It was not like Battousai had intervened into his plans again.

He started to worry when Li Tao himself took part in the battle, to fight the man called Yukishiro after he got rid of 5 men in a few seconds, slicing them up like roasted meat pieces.

"Li Tao," spat Enishi, engaging violently the battle. The man had been one of his rivals. Enishi's quick promotion in the organization had been at his sake. That was at least the common opinion, and certainly Li Tao's one.

"I won't let you bring that woman to the bosses," warned his opponent.

"There's nothing that you can prevent once you're dead," retorted threateningly Enishi, attacking again. Li Tao's death would ensure Megumi's safety.

The Chinese was a first-class swordsman, enough to ask him some efforts, yet not to demand all his concentration. Enishi noticed from the corner of his eyes that Saitoh had finished the other guards and was progressing calmly towards Kanryuu, already smoking a cigarette. Shit. He wanted to kill Kanryuu himself, but the damn wolf had the same intention. The implacable cold fire burning in the amber eyes told it very clearly. He attacked Li with more strength, hoping to defeat him fast enough to stop his temporary ally from completing his task.

Kanryuu was trembling. The cop had literally slaughtered 10 men in a few minutes, and he was coming to him. He suddenly remembered the revolver in his pocket and smiled naughtily. If the man were careless enough to smoke, insulting him with his aloof attitude, he'd pay it.

He reached for the gun, aimed, and the next second screamed out in pain. Rapid as lightening, the cop had ran to him and..cut his hand. Kanryuu fixed in disbelief the raw bloody end of his wrist, before yelling and cursing under the pain and the loss, falling down on his knees.

"Pathetic," let out his torturer, in a bored and contemptuous voice.

Kanryuu gazed at the man, eructing with furor, before remembering that he wasn't the one with the weapon. His fear of more retribution calmed him, and his face lit in spite of the pain, as he realized that this cop was probably corrupted, if he helped Megumi and Li Tao's acquaintance.

"I don't know how much they offered you, but I offer you more. I'm rich, very rich."

"You don't tame a Mibu's wolf with money," warned the other, his features sharpening, his eyes glittering.

Mibu's wolf. The mighty Saitoh Hajime. He had heard about him, the ex- Shinsengumi who worked as a spy for the government, before he got imprisoned. He was feared, and reputed as untouchable. He was also Battousai's enemy during the Bakumatsu, recalled Kanryuu.

"And if I offer you something more precious? Like revenge?"

"Revenge?"

Kanryuu had at last his interest, and the possibility to stay alive gave him the strength to overcome his pain. The man's boredom had vanished, and he had lifted a brow expectantly.

"Yes, revenge. If you turn to my side, I can offer you revenge on Battousai. I know were he is. I can offer you his son's life. His wife's, too, if you want. It will destroy him, and then you can kill him easily."

Saitoh took thoughtfully a drag on his cigarette.

"Mmm. And in what lapse of time can I expect that? Do you have something organized yet?"

Kanryuu saw luck smiling to him again, and told the truth, too happy to see the perspective of death vanishing to think about lying.

"No, but I will take dispositions to have it done in any delay you want."

A creepy, cruel smirk twisted Saitoh's lips. Kanryuu answered to it, thanking Satan for teaching him that any man had his price.

"Too bad. A positive answer would have kept you alive some time more. You're now absolutely useless," stated ironically Saitoh.

With another swift move, he opened a deep wound in Kanryuu's guts. The yakuza's inhuman protest reminded him of a scorched pig.

"If I wanted to kill Battousai, I would do it without your help, in a honorable duel, man to man," he added, lifting his sword.

"No! No, please no, I'll offer you something else, women, drugs, power, anything you want! Have pity! PLEASE!" whined Kanryuu, desperately.

He was spitting blood, which mixed with the saliva dripping from his mouth, and the sweat wetting his hair and face. His watery eyes shone with deadly fear, he was actually crying! This pitiful, liquefying thing didn't even deserve to die from a Gatotsu.

Saitoh sighed, and cut clearly the man's throat.

"NOTHING can tame a Mibu's wolf, moron."

"He was mine to kill!" protested a furious voice behind him.

Saitoh turned, tossing his cigarette away, to face a pissed off Yukishiro.

"You already had Kaneda, and this friend of yours. I wanted to interrogate him. You should have kept him alive," reproached coldly Saitoh.

"I have another idea about it. We'll discuss that later, now the problem is.."argued Enishi, walking after the infuriating man.

"Don't you have something else to worry about?" he only shrugged, with a little nod of his chin.

They were arriving to the gate, and following the cold amber gaze, Enishi's eyes dropped on Megumi. She was so pale, and trembling. She was in a deep state of shock, he realized. He knew it: she shouldn't have come. He wanted to say: "I told you so", but the only thing that he was able to do was to put a comforting arm around her shoulders. She embraced him tightly in answer.

Saitoh shrugged again, scornfully, and left the garden, going away from the sickening scene.

Later that night, Megumi was in her living room, Enishi sitting next to her.

That was the only thing that had a semblance of normality. The rest was absolutely too bizarre to be true. Saitoh was installed in front of them, finishing the meal that Fujita-san had prepared while they were away. She was now serving them some tea, after she had disposed the sweets in a plate. This woman was a benediction, and not only because her presence, and practical attentions, were comforting after the maelstrom of the evening. Her so simple and innocent way of seeing things, "you have problems, you go to the police", had saved Megumi without the shadow of a doubt.

She had appeared at Megumi's door, ordering: "Come with me", and had dragged her to the central police station, in spite of her weak protests. Fujita-san had been so smoothly authoritative, and Megumi too shattered to resist. She had left her alone in an office, and her smile had been so encouraging that Megumi couldn't have helped but believing her assurances that everything would be fine once an officer would be in charge. She didn't even think about leaving, when it was surely what she would have done, if having the slightest bit of her wits left. And the officer in charge had turned out to be Saitoh..

Megumi had problems to realize everything that had happened since, except for one thing: Kanryuu was dead, and it was over. Was it? What was Saitoh going to do now? She sent a worried glance to Enishi. He answered by a reassuring half-smile.

Saitoh gulped his cup of tea. He was annoyed. The fact that Tokio was mixed into this did nothing to help. He had been on the verge of failure. And Yukishiro had changed. Once a criminal, not always a criminal, God he hated to be wrong. Well, that wasn't relevant now. The Triads problem was left to solve. He sent a quick glance to his wife.

"Takani-sensei, can I ask for your help to clean the dishes?" she asked immediately. "Do you have water here?"

"In..in the garden. Of course, sorry!" She had let the older woman serve them, what a shame she was. She quickly stood up, and followed her outside.

Granted to Tokio that she knew him, thought Saitoh. It wouldn't prevent him to have a serious discussion with her about following his orders, though. He recalled clearly forbidding her to get more involved, and had almost choked on his cigarette when they had arrived to Takani's house, to find her waiting for them.

"Your wife is very clever," remarked nonchalantly Yukishiro.

Saitoh had always suspected that he knew about his family. Yukishiro had evidently gathered too many things about Himura's circle, which he was unfortunately a part of during Shishio's battle, not to have found out. In other times, he would have killed him for this knowledge. Currently, the man could have a use; moreover his relation to Takani was a weight in the balance. If you go after my woman, I'll go after yours. And Saitoh had definitely the upper hand in that little game for now. He thus ignored the teasing, going to the point.

"So, now that we're alone, what's the idea you wanted to discuss with me?"

"I want to propose you a deal."

"How interesting. Go on." He wouldn't tell the brat that he had himself a deal, certainly the same, in mind. For once today, he'd have full control over the situation.

"I understand that you're investigating the Triads. You could do with a spy. I can infiltrate them. They know me, and it'll take you years otherwise to get somebody inside the organization. They aren't trustful people."

"What would you ask in exchange?"

"Megumi's freedom."

Saitoh raised a brow. "Not yours?"

"It can be discussed. Megumi's situation can't."

"It sounds more like an ultimatum."

"They have been planning to establish their influence in Japan for a long time. I was in charge of the first contacts, and Wu was supposed to go on with this task. I guess they are pretty close to their goal. You don't have the luxury of waiting too long."

"And how would you proceed? They're all dead, but I have been notified that their boat is scheduled to leave Nagasaki for Shangai tomorrow morning. The men that I sent to clean Kanryuu's place are discreet..yet they can be bought or threatened. If the Chinese ever learn that you killed Li-Tao, and I think they'll investigate on it, you won't be useful to me very long."

"That's simple. I'll tell them I killed Li, and his men. Sticking to the truth as much as possible is the best tactic. I am considered as the first to have claimed Japan as my territory, and according to the Triads' oaths, I'm in my full right to kill a competitor. I'll take this boat tomorrow in Nagasaki and make my reappearance in Shangai. It'll cut short any deep investigation, I'm sure of it."

"And Kanryuu's chemist? They'll want you to find her."

"Li Tao was too impatient. He was known for his ambition, so it will sound likely that he tortured Kanryuu to get the information, killing him inadvertently in the process. And Takeda took the secret in his grave."

Saitoh couldn't help to show his appreciation. Yes, Yukishiro would be more useful alive than dead. He didn't have much time to prepare his plan, yet it was flawless. Working with a brainy subordinate would be a welcomed change from Chou. And as he didn't, obviously, make a stupid non-killing vow like Battousai, he would be absolutely efficient.

"So, do we agree on Megumi? I work for you and you let her free."

"No! His freedom. Not mine," exclaimed an outraged voice, coming from the door.

Takani was standing in front of it, Tokio appearing behind, looking apologetic.

"Stay out of it," snapped Enishi.

"No way!"

"Spare me the lovebirds' song," warned Saitoh, with an exasperated grimace. "Use your brain, you're supposed to have one, aren't you? If I accept that he works for me, I can't arrest you for hiding him, or I'll have to arrest myself for employing a traitor. Moron."

Takani was staring at him, dumbfounded, and he quite enjoyed it. He enjoyed less Yukishiro's confident grin. The brat was unnerving. It might not be such a clever idea to work with him.

"Can I assume that we have a deal?"

"Deal," granted Saitoh, royally.

Megumi frowned. His expression reminded her of somebody. She quickly put the thought aside, as she began to understand what all that meant. She was free. Enishi was free. But he would leave her. She contained her sadness. How selfish was her reaction. The most important was that Enishi wasn't a wanted man anymore, and could atone for his crimes.

Saitoh stood up. "I'll be back in an hour so that we can leave for Nagasaki. Fujita-san, I'm accompanying you to your home."

The woman bowed formally.

Megumi realized only then that she was next to her. Having suddenly understood that Enishi and Saitoh would take advantage of her absence to solve their issues, and not wanting to be shoved aside, she had run back to the house. She now wondered if Fujita-san had heard something. Luckily Kanryuu not having mentioned the drugs, she probably mistook the situation, thinking that Megumi had escaped from a tea-house or something like this, but if she had surprised this last conversation.. Megumi glanced at Saitoh. He didn't seem threatening, so she probably didn't. Thank God. She turned to her.

"I'd like to thank you and.."

"Don't worry. I'll visit you again soon," smiled soothingly the woman.

Megumi gazed warmly at her. "Yes, please. I'd like that."

She watched them go, and closed the door.

"Do you think that she heard something?" she asked Enishi. "She's been so helpful, I don't want her to have problem with Saitoh when she is so innocent of.."

She cut off as she noticed Enishi's mocking grin.

"First of all, she's everything but innocent, believe me. Then, I think that she's going to have indeed problems with Saitoh. If she were MY wife, I would be very pissed that she nosed into such a dangerous problem."

Wife? Whose wife? How come Enishi knew who Fujita-sa..Fujita..Fujita Goro..SAITOH?

Megumi had her last shock of the day.

Once into the carriage, Saitoh glared at Tokio: "How come?"

He didn't have time to ask for detailed explanations at the police station, and wanted some now.

"She treated Tsuyoshi this afternoon for a light cut. The boys' kenjutsu competition was near this place. Don't forget to congratulate him for his braveness, AND to scold him for his behavior. He's been unbelievably rude. He even bit her. Don't smirk, Hajime, it's NOT funny."

"That doesn't explain you being there in the evening."

"After you sent me that message saying that you weren't coming home, I decided to bring her some of the extra food I had prepared, to apologize for our son's behavior. I wrongly assumed that she was lonely and in need of company, too. And when I heard that..thing, threatening her, and that he was Takeda Kanryuu, I did what I had to."

"I told you to go home," he scolded icily.

"I like her. She needed feminine presence, after the way this Takeda treated her. If you had heard him..I hope he was killed, and properly."

"I killed him."

She gave him a both sweet and cruel, ruthlessly satisfied smile, letting briefly her real face show up, before going on: "Moreover, you warned me to take extra precautions during Yukishiro's Jinchuu. I guessed that he knew already."

"Yes, he did."

"It seems very difficult to hide something from him. Better to have him with us than against us."

Her husband sent her a self-satisfied smirk. "He didn't know who she was until today. Battousai had made her escape before the police arrived to Takeda's mansion, after his fight there. Nobody, not even that brat, could guess that Yamagata having mentioned Himura's presence in Tokyo to Okubo, I was already following him like his shadow."

"You managed to keep one secret from him," she praised, ironically. "There's this saying about a secret known by three people being safe only if two of them are dead. It seems that Kawaji and you are the exception."

"Luckily, his files showed me how Kaneda figured out her identity. It saved me the annoyance of investigating my boss for high treason," he mused.

"Anyway, Yukishiro already knowing who I am, I didn't take such a risk. You shouldn't be upset about it."

Saitoh's features sharpened immediately.

"Takani was too shocked to make the link, that's why I let you stay. But you won't be seeing her again. We agreed that you stayed out of my work."

Tokio laughed softly. "She isn't your work anymore. And if she doesn't realize soon, he'll tell her. It isn't like she was any other woman. Why do you make such a big deal about it? You're afraid that she tells Battousai?"

Saitoh chose to ignore this blatant provocation. Tokio knew he had told Himura Kenshin. He resumed smoking in silence.

"The boys?" he eventually asked.

"I left them with my brother and sister-in-law. They must still be awake, so if it's to leave immediately you'd better not show up at home. Particularly for Tsuyoshi."

"Aa."

"Tsutomu and Eiji both won the tournament in their category, of course."

"Needless to say," he shrugged, sharing a knowing, somewhat proud look with her.

"They'll be disappointed that you don't come home tonight. Me too," she added, with a seductive glance from under her eyelashes.

He lifted an ironic brow, perfectly understanding her attempt at manipulation.

"But we'll get over it as you're going to be home for New Year," she smiled innocently.

Too innocently. There was indeed something behind her stupid insistence.

"What is it?"

His tone demanded an answer. She gazed at him, searching for the right words. She didn't have to assure him of her trust or acceptance of his duty. It was a given. So was absolute honesty. She decided to go for the naked truth.

"You're working too much. Even for your standards. I'm afraid that you loose perspective and commit mistakes if you go on like this."

He narrowed his eyes. They both knew what were the consequences of mistakes in his job. His first thought was that it was a needless worry. Yet, he realized that in this case, he had jumped several time to conclusions. To the wrong conclusions. He exhaled slowly a cloud of smoke. Granted to Tokio that she knew him. Better than he did.

"If Tsuyoshi has energy to spare, he could do with serious training. I will see to this, starting tomorrow," he announced nonchalantly.

Tokio nodded, genuinely relieved, still smiling the most innocently she could. Tsuyoshi was punished for one week, but Hajime didn't need to know that right now.

It was early morning the next day. They had arrived in Nagasaki, the carriage stopping near the port.

After the issue of Saitoh's wife had relaxed the atmosphere between them for a moment, Megumi had found herself being extremely awkward, under Enishi's piercing gaze. She was so vulnerable, so afraid of a too emotional reaction to his departure that she had gone out to finish the washing, and then prepared a pack with medicine that could be useful to him, instead of staying with him like she really wanted. She also wanted to tell him she loved him, but she was scared that it would be a weight to him. He had to walk his path to redeem for his crimes, like she was doing in her clinic, like Oibore was doing in Rakuninmura. She was respecting, and understanding his actions, and certainly didn't wish to hold him back in any way.

Enishi had taken advantage of her going out, to wash the dye out of his hair, and pack the few things he owned. It was better that he didn't stay close to her. He wanted her so much that he wasn't sure he could hold on. After what she had gone through, and though he had the feeling that she wouldn't reject him, it was definitely not a good idea. He didn't want to force her, in any way, so was even hesitating to tell her how he felt. He would one day, but she might need time.

Saitoh had arrived as they were finally about to talk, and the trip had been silent, under the cop's bemused gaze. Leaving him in the carriage, Megumi had gone with Enishi to walk a few paces, before he boarded.

Both of them were silent. He stopped suddenly.

"You can't go farther. I don't want the guys on the boat to see you."

"So..Take care," she said, lamely. "Good luck, and.."

She had just the time to see the intensity of his deep blue gaze as he pulled her to him, before she closed her eyes under his passionate kiss. Past the first moment of surprise, she wounded her arms around his neck, and kissed him back, trying to tell him this way what she couldn't express with words. It was the first time that she really kissed a man, that she wanted physical contact, that she needed it desperately, that she found in it comfort, and pleasure.

He parted, and wiped out the tears she hadn't been aware she was letting out, his hands lingering on her cheeks. So much for restraint. At the idea of not having her close to him everyday, at the departure being so close, his feelings had just grew too strong for him to contain.

"Don't cry."

"I'm not," she began, before realizing that he was right. "I'm just..I won't see you again and.."

Enishi gazed at her, smiling at her embarrassment. The kiss had only confirmed what he already knew. How stupid he would have been to go without sharing this with her.

"When you save someone's life, you're responsible for it, aren't you?" he asked, interrupting her lame attempts at an explanation.

"You don't have to.."

"So we have responsibility towards each other. And I won't let you escape yours," he finished, with an arrogance softened by his hands now stroking her hair.

"You."

He kissed her fervently again, until she relaxed, until she understood, until he felt she knew, too.

"I'll see you again. Sooner than you think," he murmured, finally tearing himself apart from her embrace.

He had managed to walk away from her when she called his name. He looked back at her.

"I'll be waiting for you," she smiled, serenely.

"Soon!" he promised again, full of confidence.

Megumi watched his figure fading away. He might be gone for now, but she was sure that he'd be back. He promised her, and she trusted him. Enishi would always be there for her.

To be continued?

Author's notes:

For the way that Kanryuu refers to Li-Tao, it's the same as the A/N in chapter 4.

Saitoh not making the link with Megumi as soon as Kanryuu was out, while he knows about her being the chemist: first, all the liberated Yakuza having disappeared/ gone to Shangai, Saitoh assumed that he did the same, and obviously didn't know that Kanryuu was back to Japan before he found the files (Chou is going to have troubles..(-)). Second, Saitoh is more focused on catching a criminal than to think about the potential victims (imo). Third, it seemed likely to me that Megumi not being a threat to the security of Japan, he didn't keep tracks of her. Finally, he isn't in his greatest shape here. So I hope that these explanations are enough (-). Sorry otherwise!

For the same reason, Tokio reacted to Takeda Kanryuu's name and not to "Takani" (which is surely written on her clinic). Even if Saitoh had talked about her about such a big issue as Kenshin and indeed talked to her about Kanryuu, Megumi was too insignificant (not a fighter) in his eyes for Saitoh mentioning her, or maybe only as "the Fox doctor" (-).

I hope I managed to avoid any other inconsistency...Thanks to Firuze for helping me out there,(with Enishi's explanations about Kanryuu especially) and for her corrections!

I also owe her for telling me about the Hung's (Chinese Triads) 36 oaths, whose breaking is punishable by death. I used here number 27 (I must not trespass the territory of my sworn brothers) for Enishi's tactics, 33 (If my sworn brothers have committed a big offence I must not inform upon them to the government for the purposes of obtaining a reward) and 35 (I must never reveal Hung secrets or signs when speaking to an outsider), as I think that Enishi's alliance with Saitoh depends on these last two, for Li's tactics.

Gatotsu: Oops! Thanks to Mara for noticing! Having read only the Japanese version, and as Hitenmitsurugiryu and Gatotsu's names are usually employed in fanfics, I assumed that the variations were not translated either. Gatotsu has for stances: isshiki (first) ni-shiki (second) san-shiki (third) and zero-shiki (distance zero- ultimate attack/ougi).

Epilogue: A picnic under the sakura, two years later. Yes, the Kaden one, Megumi's POV.

See you!

Kamorgana.


	7. Epilogue:What's on my mind

Disclaimer: RK is property of Watsuki, I don't own it, and use the characters for entertainment only. 

Children of the Revolution

Epilogue: What's on my mind

Tokyo, Meiji 16th (1884), early spring.

The sakura were in full blossom, their delicate sweet perfume permeating the air. Megumi sat on a bench, under a tree, and extended her hand to catch some feather-like light pink petals, to just let them flow away again in the spring's fresh breeze. She gazed at the group she had just left.

Ken-san had tried to convince Kaoru to leave Kenji-kun with Tae, so she could enjoy fully the picnic with her friends instead of looking after him. She had refused, but proved his worries wrong. She was less protective with her son now, and there were no more clouds hidden behind her bright smile. The couple was sitting on the grass, Ken-san leaning onto a sakura trunk, in that so familiar position, except that his hand was resting on his wife's shoulder, not on his sword. Kaoru-chan had fallen asleep, a happy smile on her face, oblivious of the rest of the world.

It was for the best, thought Megumi the next second, seeing Yahiko-kun throwing up a few yards away from the scene, under the very interested glance of Kenji-kun, who, according to his delighted squeals, found this new game very funny. The poor Yahiko would probably never, ever stand alcohol. Tsubame was next to him, rubbing his back, and from the incessant move of her lips, Megumi knew that she was lecturing him. Suddenly the girl began to throw up, too, although she didn't drink. Tsubame's swift blushing afterwards only confirmed the other symptoms that Megumi had already noticed. The doctor let out a sharp grin. Well, nothing could save Yahiko from Kaoru's bokken, now. Neither from a quick ceremony.

Her gaze then fell upon Aoshi. They had had a talk, the day before his wedding. She had never heard Aoshi speaking that much. He had apologized to her for not guessing that Kanryuu was abusing her. She had been so surprised. Of course he couldn't, they had no contact with her, except a few glimpses when she was working in the laboratory. Kanryuu had presented her as his mistress and willful associate. The bastard had no choice but to let his bodyguards see her, yet he had made sure to awake their contempt, ensuring that she wouldn't have any allies. Aoshi was still convinced that he should have known. She had apologized too, for her role in his companions' death. He had said that it was his fault, not hers, and their relation had pacified, once the misunderstanding at the base of their mutual uneasiness had cleared. The past was really behind them. He noticed her eyes on him, and gave her a little, friendly (according to him, but she decrypted that now) nod.

Being married hadn't changed him. It hadn't changed Misao, either, except for her acceptance to wear kimonos. She was currently bugging him so she could rest on his chest like Kaoru did with Kenshin, encountering his icy response. As Ken-san's lips opened on what Megumi knew was a sweet "Oro", Misao winked discreetly to him, and finally contented herself with her husband's shoulder. Ken-san closed his eyes, resting his head on the trunk, a smile lighting his face as he took a deep, happy breath, obviously enjoying the feeling of peace lingering around.

It was almost like in the old days..Sano wasn't here, yet his letter had announced his return. She would be the one to prepare him miso shiru, she had proposed, as Kaoru's one would only make him jump into the first boat going to the antipodes. Kaoru had only pretended to get angry. The girl had finally grown up and learnt to accept people's teasing.

Ken-san had discreetly asked Megumi if she wanted to keep Sano's letter. He had blushed at her puzzled refusal, and had then looked thoughtfully at her, his violet eyes shining with affection and hope. He had evidently gotten something.

She couldn't explain to him. She wished she could. Maybe, one day, she could tell him why. Why she could be in that park, with three happily married, or soon to be, couples of friends, and not feeling lonely like she did before.

Dearest,

I'm not mad at you. I had to take you with your flaws. It isn't like I ignored that you were Battousai's (I'll accept to call him "Himura at least" when you stop with that ridiculous "Ken-san" thing) friend. Have fun in Tokyo. I'd tell you not to spend half of your time there to take care of the Rakuninmura people and to just relax instead, but I know you will anyway, and that my father won't let you work too much. I'm sure that he won't let his precious little Goddess of Mercy getting exhausted.

It's cold here, it snows, and needless to say that my company does nothing to warm the atmosphere. The man still tries to pretend that he's my boss. I had to make things clear (none of us got seriously injured). It's actually more pleasant than I thought to work with him. The case is delicate, but we're going to see the end of it soon. I wish I could tell you how we plan to solve it. I can't wait to see the morons' faces when we do!

I don't find "cute" that Tsuyoshi follows you everywhere and destroys his mother's garden to offer you flowers. I know that Tokio-san is busy with the new little wolf (and if he looks that much like Saitoh he can't be "adorable", whatever you say) but she should look after her other sons better. I leave to her husband, who wasn't very pleased to learn that one of his offspring behaves like, and these aren't my words, a "besotted idiot", the pleasure to discuss it with her.

I'd like to tell you how much I miss you, and what kind of goddess you are to me, but it seems that you and Tokio-san share the news way more than you should (I'll forgive you if you tell me what he writes to her, I'm running out of arguments to piss him off.), so you'll have to wait until I can tell you in person. Or better, that I can show you.

Soon,

Enishi

Smiling, Megumi put the letter back in her kimono.

The end

Author's notes:

Sorry for updating so late, I've been terribly busy (T-T). Thanks for your patience, and I hope that the epilogue wasn't too disappointing.

Happy end all the way. The WAFF side of the force got over me..hopefully not too much. I had alluded to Kenshin and Kaoru's problems in earlier chapters.I wanted that to be settled, as Megumi/Aoshi's relation, and give a minuscule glimpse at Aoshi/Misao (frustrated author who's been unable to write a decent A/M yet).

About Tsubame/Yahiko, it's Japan in the 19th century, they're around 15: standards were different then. In the manga, Yahiko gets drunk several times, and Kaoru is concerned (bokken-like) about his behavior towards Tsubame, whereas he's only 11.

About the "Aizu circle", I hope that the previous chapter was clear enough concerning Tokio's intend to befriend Megumi, Saitoh's negative reaction about it (and on who wins this kind of arguments (-)). Of course, though they appreciate each other's mind and they work together efficiently, Saitoh and Enishi aren't the least friends. Finally it was (wayyyy) too soon for Enishi accepting that Kenshin even knows about him (he stated clearly in chapter 3 that he won't forgive him).

Special thanks: Firuze, you've been helping me so much, your enthusiasm feeding my own. This story wouldn't be what it is now without you. Thanks a million, for everything! (-)

I enjoyed every moment I've been writing this story. I already said it: I wasn't expecting any reviews, less positive. So a big, special thank to all the people who've been reviewing this story. Each of your nice words and encouragements meant a lot to me! THANK YOU!

Otsukaresama! See you!

Kamorgana


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